Jen Villa is a passionate Cape Cod community advocate and longtime small business owner. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of Love Live Local, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting small businesses and strengthening the local economy by fostering meaningful connections between businesses and community.

Jen also co-owns and operates The West End, a restaurant and events venue located in a restored 100-year-old building in downtown Hyannis. With more than 16 years of experience as an entrepreneur, and active roles on the boards of Cape Wellness Collaborative and the Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District, Jen brings both lived experience and a community-centered perspective to conversations about how small businesses, people, and a sense of place are deeply connected.

Born and raised in Plymouth MA, a true native “Plymouthian.” Attended UMass Amherst and received a BS in Natural Resource Studies, and Northeastern University for Certificate in Paralegal Studies.

I worked at the Forest Park Children’s Zoo in Springfield as a Zookeeper and Assistant Education Coordinator for three years right after graduating from college. I dealt with a wide variety of animals, everything from a small tarantula to a large herd of llamas. Zoo residents also included bobcats, prairie dogs, squirrel monkeys, sheep, goats, iguanas, two 6 foot boa constrictors, macaws, Golden eagles, and more. I have been an aminal lover since the day I was born.

After the zoo, I moved back to Plymouth in 1984 and “accidentally” fell into a career as a paralegal. I worked at law offices in Plymouth, Newton, Wellesley, and my last paralegal gig was a 16 year stint at a boutique Employment Law firm in Boston as Senior Paralegal, Office Manager and Billing Administrator, a/k/a “A Jack of All Trades.” In 2014, I finally ended the Boston commuting madness and changed careers completely, taking a job as Operations Manager for a large landscape supply business close to home in Plymouth.

During all these years of working, I was also an advocate for animal welfare and a dedicated volunteer for a different Plymouth based rescue and adoption organization for twenty-one (21) years. When my mom became terminally ill, I retired in 2018 and took some time off. Right as the pandemic set in in March 2020, I was offered a volunteer position on the Board of Directors for Plymouth Helping Hands for Animals, and jumped enthusiastically back into the animal welfare arena. In the last seven years, Helping Hands has grown significantly as a nonprofit organization serving Plymouth and its adjacent towns (Kingston, Carver, Wareham, Sagamore and Bourne). We have revitalized and expanded existing programs and added new services for local pet owners. Our fundraising efforts have grown substantially to meet the increased need of pet owners facing hardship. As a lifelong pet owner and passionate animal lover, my volunteer work with Helping Hands is the perfect “job” for me.

Nicole Frye is the Chief Operating Officer of Independence HomeHealthWares, where she leads multiple teams across Cape Cod, Central Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. With a strong background in both clinical care and healthcare operations, she has helped guide the organization through acquisitions, business integrations, and the expansion of new service lines.

Throughout her career, she has built a strong legacy of developing teams and creating meaningful partnerships that move organizations and communities forward. Known for her hands-on, solutions-focused leadership style, she brings people together around a shared purpose and turns opportunities into sustainable growth.

Through a broad range of home medical equipment and services, her teams support individuals and families through every stage of life—from pregnancy and the earliest days of parenthood through recovery, independence, and healthy aging.

As KAN Fitness founder, Kathy has been teaching and training clients on Cape Cod for more than a decade. After a successful 25+ year career in retail, Kathy decided to follow her passion and make a dramatic career change. In 2008, Kathy became a fitness instructor which married her love of fitness with her years of leadership experience. She chose to become a fitness coach to help others change their lives and achieve their fitness goals. Having battled her weight for most of her life, Kathy found success 20 years ago and now shares her personal experience with her members.
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In 2020, Kathy decided to open her own training studio, KAN Fitness. Her goal is to enhance the well-being of her clients by empowering them with knowledge, skills, support, and guidance that will inspire them on their fitness journey to a healthier life.

Kathy trains people of all different ages and fitness levels. She spends time with each of her clients to understand their motivation and goals. Her passion is motivating others to feel their best and experience a great sense of accomplishment.

Kathy’s energy, enthusiasm and dedication to her clients is unparalleled. She leads an active lifestyle and enjoys inspiring others to improve and maintain their fitness levels and to celebrate their accomplishments and personal achievements. She volunteers her time weekly as a boxing coach with Rock Steady Boxing (program for people with Parkinson’s Disease). Kathy also donates time to Cape Abilities and participates in many charity bike rides.

Kathy holds numerous certifications and qualifications, including WITS Personal Training, ISSA Personal Training, Kettlebell Level 1 and 2, Bosu, Tabata Bootcamp, Mad Dogg Spinning, TRX, Pilates, Boxing Coach Level 1, 2 and 3, and Peddling for Parkinson’s.

Holly Daniels Christensen is the Founder & Designer of Dune Jewelry & Co., where she has spent more than 16 years transforming sand & earth elements from iconic locations around the world into meaningful jewelry that captures life’s most treasured memories.

A lifelong entrepreneur, passionate traveler & author of two books, Holly is also the co-founder of Dune Travels alongside Christine Kesteloo and the founder of Mi Tesoro Jewelry. When she’s not designing, writing, or exploring the world, she’s a proud mom to two teenage daughters.

Maribeth Harvey is Co-Owner and Color Specialist at James Harvey Painting & Color, where she works alongside her husband, Jay, helping clients find the perfect colors for their homes. Before joining the family business, she managed real estate advertising for GateHouse Media throughout the South Shore, Cape Cod, and South Coast. Maribeth is a Board Member of the Cape Cod Canal Region Chamber of Commerce and is passionate about supporting and connecting local businesses. One of the roles closest to her heart is serving as a Volunteer Case Reviewer for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, helping support the well-being of children and families in her community. Maribeth and Jay live in Buzzards Bay with their Golden Retriever and company mascot, Jack. Outside of work and volunteering, she’s a voracious reader, loves to cook and hike with Jack, and spends as much of the summer as possible on the boat with Jay, exploring Massachusetts Bay, Buzzards Bay, and beyond.

A longtime community banker and passionate advocate for the region, Pattie Piva serves as Banking Center Manager for Cape Cod 5 at the Bank’s Pinehills location in Plymouth.

Originally from Dartmouth, Massachusetts, Pattie spent two decades in Maryland before returning to Massachusetts and making Cape Cod her home. Her experiences across these communities have helped shape both her personal journey and her commitment to building meaningful connections with those around her.

During her 23-year career with Cape Cod 5, Pattie has played an important role in expanding the Bank’s presence and building meaningful relationships throughout the communities she serves. In 2005, she served as Banking Center Manager during the opening of Cape Cod 5’s Sandwich Banking Center, later managing both the Sandwich and The Pinehills locations following the Bank’s expansion into Plymouth in 2019. In 2023, eager to become even more deeply connected to the Plymouth community, she transitioned to The Pinehills location full time.

For Pattie, the saying “when you’re doing something you love, it never seems like work” captures how she feels about her career. That same passion extends beyond banking. Over the years, she has served on numerous nonprofit boards and committees – including the Cape Cod Canal Region, Plymouth Area and Sandwich Chambers of Commerce – generously sharing her time and talents with organizations dedicated to strengthening local communities.

Known for her determination, strong work ethic and “never give up” attitude, Pattie believes in working hard, enjoying life and supporting the people around her. Along the way, she has built lasting relationships, met countless inspiring people and formed lifelong friendships – experiences she says she wouldn’t trade for anything.

She is honored to participate in this year’s Enterprising Women event and to join a group of accomplished and empowering individuals in celebrating leadership, connection and the impact women make in their professions and communities.