Susan Penta, MIDIOR Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Is Helping to Advance Economic Equity for Young People in Boston
The Possible Zone (TPZ), an innovative, tuition-free hands-on entrepreneurship program where young people in Boston prepare for life-long learning and leave ready for careers of the future, is proud to announce that Susan Loconto Penta, engineer, entrepreneur, educator, and consultant with a passion for products, fascination with technology, and commitment to community that has underscored her 35-year career, is one of the newer members of the TPZ Board of Directors.
“At The Possible Zone, we’re helping young people develop an entrepreneurial mindset and spirit that they will carry throughout their lives,” Susan shared. “The core competencies our students demonstrate—growth mindset, problem-solving skills, perseverance, teamwork, self-management, and more—these lay the foundation for a successful future. I’m proud that our students leave TPZ equipped for our changing workforce.”
Hundreds 
of high school students from Boston Public Schools, and a cohort of young adult associates immersed in early career exploration, thrive as they explore changing STEAM technologies in TPZ’s state-of-the-art Innovation Center, and develop valuable social and emotional skills in supportive, tuition-free programming. Over the past dozen years, Susan has been advising the development and refinement of TPZ’s core Entrepreneurship program. As a member of the Board of Directors, she continues to provide such advice and is helping to strengthen the organization’s networks with individuals, businesses, and associations that share a commitment to diversifying career pipelines and advancing economic equity for high school students from across the city.
“Susan brings valuable perspectives and insights to our Board deliberations and our organization’s partnership-building,” says Becky Levin, TPZ Executive Director and Co-Founder. “As we continue to expand our programming and serve more young people in this, our second decade, it’s imperative that we connect and build with other innovative collaborators to ensure meaningful pathways and opportunities for our students. Susan not only shares her expertise with us, her reputation strengthens our own. We are proud and grateful to have Susan serve on our Board of Directors.”
As Co-Founder and Managing Partner at MIDIOR, Susan oversees the delivery of professional services and MIDIOR’s operations. For her clients, she crosses organizational and cultural boundaries to facilitate a common product and technology perspective, inspire innovative thinking, optimize team output, and improve financial performance. In her role as Co-Founder and President of Modern Administration Systems, Susan leads the newly acquired company with strategic vision and operational guidance. As an educator, Susan served for 18 years as an Executive Professor on the adjunct faculty at Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business, as well as in Northeastern’s Corporate Education programs where she taught graduate courses in entrepreneurship and innovation. She is also a frequent guest lecturer and public speaker on the topics of innovation, entrepreneurship, and product organizations.
Active with many non-profits, most often at the intersection of education, entrepreneurship, and marginalized populations, Susan currently serves as the Chair of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network Advisory Board and director on the GBCC board, as Director Emeritus and past Board Chair for the Center for Women and Enterprise (CWE), as Trustee and past Board Chair for Schools for Children, as a trustee with the Children’s Trust of Massachusetts, as a Leadership Advisory Board member for EforAll Cape Cod, and as a member of the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers Executive Council. Susan puts considerable energy into advancing the domains within which she works, lifting up women in business and STEM, supporting small businesses and investing her time to nurture and support the disciplines aligned with her work. Susan currently serves as Chair of the Product Development & Management Association’s (PDMA) Board of Directors, is a founding member of WPI’s Women’s Impact Network (WIN) and an advisor and mentor to many entrepreneurs and former students. Susan holds a BSEE degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and an MBA from Bayes Business School (formerly Cass) in London, England.
Reinforced by a network of key educational and industry partners in a supportive ecosystem, and guided by TPZ’s college and career advisors, young people leave The Possible Zone equipped to shape their futures and ready to pursue innovative careers that are evolving during this exciting time, when intelligent digital technologies are being integrated into manufacturing and industrial processes. The TPZ team is committed to helping students find their passions; cultivate essential skills, mindsets, and assets; and shape their futures so that they can experience upward economic mobility in their chosen paths, from continued learning to innovative careers. Learn more at possiblezone.org.
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Media Contact: Donna Tambascio, VP of Communications