Northeast Arc Honored on Top 100 Women-Led List
The Massachusetts nonprofit ranked 55th among the state's Top 100 Women-Led Businesses for the ninth consecutive year.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Special Needs
Northeast Arc, a not-for-profit led by Jo Ann Simons of Swampscott, was named to The Women's Edge Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts list. The organization ranked 55th and marks its ninth straight year on the list.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights a Massachusetts organization that helps children and adults with disabilities or autism become full participants in their communities. The list measures revenue or operating budget, full-time employees in the state, workplace and management diversity, and innovative projects.
Northeast Arc placed 55th among 100 honorees and has appeared on the list for nine consecutive years. The ranking does not disclose the organization's specific revenue, operating budget, or workforce size.
The players
Northeast Arc
Northeast Arc is a not-for-profit organization that helps children and adults with disabilities or autism become full participants in the community.
The Women's Edge
The Women's Edge is a nonprofit that creates the annual Top 100 Women-Led Businesses list in partnership with the Boston Globe Magazine.
Jo Ann Simons
Jo Ann Simons is the leader of Northeast Arc and has served on the Governor's Commission on Intellectual Disabilities since 2016.
The details
The Women's Edge, a nonprofit, produces the annual list each year with the Boston Globe Magazine. Jo Ann Simons, who lives in Swampscott, attended a breakfast honoring the top women-led businesses.
Timeline
2016: Simons began serving on the Governor's Commission on Intellectual Disabilities.
Annual: The Top 100 Women-Led Businesses list is published each year.
This year: Northeast Arc was recognized for its ninth consecutive year on the list.
Season Trajectory
Northeast Arc's ninth consecutive appearance on The Women's Edge Top 100 list extends a multi-year run of recognition for the organization. The annual list, produced with the Boston Globe Magazine, gives Massachusetts women-led nonprofits a recurring public measure of their operations.
Families in Massachusetts who rely on services for children and adults with disabilities or autism can look to organizations like Northeast Arc for community participation support. The recognition does not change how services are accessed or priced.
The takeaway
Recognition on business rankings can spotlight nonprofits whose community work might otherwise receive less public attention. Readers interested in disability services can use such listings to identify local organizations with a sustained track record.
Further reading
Explore more Special Needs coverage to see how disability support organizations are shaping communities across Massachusetts.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Swampscott Tides.
