Ben Franklin Northeast is pleased to announce two additions to its team: Ayesha Haider, Portfolio Manager, and Lorraine Santoro, Office Support Coordinator.
Ayesha Haider joins as Portfolio Manager for the Greater Lehigh Valley, focusing on fostering innovation and economic growth across Northampton, Lehigh, Carbon, and Monroe counties. In this role, she will help identify and support early-stage technology firms and innovative manufacturers for potential investment, guide clients through Ben Franklin’s funding and development processes, and build relationships with regional partners. Haider has over 10 years of experience as a business consultant working with small businesses across diverse industries. She specializes in technology commercialization, government contracting and SBIR/STTR.
Lorraine Santoro joins Ben Franklin Northeast in a multifaceted operations role supporting finance and executive operations. Her responsibilities include helping ensure financial data accuracy, processing and reconciling transactions, supporting audits, and coordinating key office and conference center activities—along with executive support such as preparing board meeting materials and minutes.
We congratulate and welcome our new team members!