Image by Ed Brennen Through the recently launched Reader Family Industry Mentorship Program, business major Solomon Miragias '26, left, was paired with alumna Trisha Keefe '91, head of corporate services at Loomis Sayles in Boston.
Every morning for the past 12 years, UMass Lowell business alum Doug Reader ’83 has sent an inspirational email to hundreds of friends and colleagues.
“I want to send a positive ripple into the world to start the day,” says Reader, who has “never missed a day” sharing reflections on gratitude, resilience and finding opportunity in everyday challenges.
Reader and his wife, Michelle, have brought that same philosophy to the Manning School of Business through a $200,000 gift establishing the Reader Family Industry Mentorship Program, which connects students with alumni and industry professionals as they prepare for their careers.
“The mentorship program is a ripple,” says Reader, a senior managing director at Kainos Capital and member of the Manning School Advisory Board. “We will never know where the ripple goes, and that’s perfectly OK, because we know we’re making a positive difference.”
Image by Ed Brennen Business alum Doug Reader '83, right, chats with Thomas Clark, center, director of the Reader Family Industry Mentorship Program, and Amit Deokar, associate dean of undergraduate programs and accreditation, during a visit to campus this spring.
“Mentorship is one of the most powerful and underestimated forces in professional and personal development,” says Rist Family Endowed Dean of Business Bertie Greer. “It’s not about advice; it’s about having someone who listens, who challenges you, who helps you see possibilities that you don’t see on your own.”
Reader says the idea was shaped in part by what was missing in his own 40-year career, which has included leadership roles with Coca-Cola, SlimFast, grocery retail firms and private equity-backed businesses.
“I have never had a mentor in my life, and it has always felt like a gap because you're just kind of hunting and pecking about where you should go next,” he says. “The fact that you could have someone that you could talk to and trust to say, ‘Do you have any advice?’ — that's really powerful.”
Led by Director Thomas Clark, the mentorship initiative launched as a pilot program this spring, drawing 45 students and 50 mentors from across industries. Students are matched with mentors based on their academic concentrations and career interests, with monthly conversations focused on professional development topics ranging from résumé building and LinkedIn networking to interview preparation and career exploration.
Image by Ed Brennen Business major Armani Teran, right, chats with his mentor, alum Rob Klein '18, '19, during a semester-ending celebration of the Reader Family Industry Mentorship Program at Alumni Hall.
“It’s reassuring to know that if we encounter a situation of uncertainty, there’s someone we can turn to who’s had decades of experience,” says Miragias, who is now pursuing a master’s degree in finance.
During one of their meetings, Miragias asked Keefe what traits successful people share.
“Without hesitation, the first thing she said was that successful people give back,” he says.
Rising senior Srinivas Kagalkar credits mentor Gary Ainsworth '87, vice president of operations at clean-technology company BLU NXT, with helping him better understand careers in operations and supply chain management.
"I really wanted someone who had been there, done that," Kagalkar says.
Ainsworth, who is a part-time administrator of a federal workforce development grant in the Francis College of Engineering, says mentoring students was a natural extension of his connection to the university.
Image by Ed Brennen Rising senior Amanda Pajak, right, was paired with Michelle Downs, senior director of financial planning and analysis at ZOLL Medical. Downs became involved with the Reader Family Industry Mentorship Program at the suggestion of her father, UML alum Michael Ward '73.
For accounting and marketing student Amanda Pajak, working with mentor Michelle Downs, senior director of financial planning and analysis at ZOLL Medical, showed the variety of paths available within the accounting profession.
“I've learned a lot about public accounting in school, so seeing a different career path was something I was really interested in,” says Pajak, a rising senior.
As a first-generation college student, Armani Teran says mentor Rob Klein '18, '19, general manager at Copy-Pro and a licensed real estate agent at Concentric Capital Group, helped make professional networking feel more accessible.
"Having a program like this really alleviates the stress of trying to do that on your own," says Teran, a rising senior with concentrations in entrepreneurship and finance.
And for Lucas Mendes, also a first-generation college student, the relationship with mentor Jason Downey '18, tax manager at Johnson O’Connor, has provided a trusted source of professional guidance.
Image by Ed Brennen "I really wanted someone who had been there, done that," rising senior Srinivas Kagalkar, left, says of his mentor, Gary Ainsworth '87, vice president of operations at BLU NXT.
Reader and his wife previously created the Reader Family Endowed Scholarship in 2016. In recognition of their philanthropy, the couple was inducted into UMass Lowell’s Circle of Honor in 2020. Reader also received a University Alumni Award in 2024.
Reader, a Bedford native who now lives in Flower Mound, Texas, hopes the mentorship program will continue growing across the Manning School and eventually beyond to the rest of the university.
“There’s something special at UML,” Reader says. “The work ethic, the passion, the commitment to excellence — these values have stayed with me throughout my career. I’m proud to give back to the place that shaped me.”
Image by Ed Brennen Rising senior Dhruv Shenoy, right, was paired with alum Jonathan Geanakos '84 in the Reader Family Industry Mentorship Program.