MEET
LISA
inspirational
conversationalist
Lisa is a professional speaker and has traveled to 21 countries and has lived in Japan, Italy, and the Philippines. These experiences have equipped her to connect with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Organizations and individuals started to ask Lisa how to create connections and bring people together. In all of her work with organizations and individuals, she has honed the skills that work leaders need today to connect people with different perspectives in a hot button climate.
Lisa has 16 years of experience in delivering presentations that engage a variety of audiences. She loves to speak and coach! She also is a public speaker for awareness issues such as human trafficking, food insecurity, and homelessness. Lisa has now turned these awareness strategies into workshops to introduce proven tools to allow anyone to connect, learn from one another, and work toward a common goal in the face of hot button issues.
She coached basketball and volleyball at the collegiate level. Lisa energizes, encourages, and knows how to command a room. She loves building her social and professional network! Lisa is involved in her community and is an active member of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. She is a graduate from the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute Community Leadership Program Class of 2023
WORLD
TRAVELS
Lisa started her world travels as a college student with summer trips to Japan and Italy to direct Day Camps on a military base. After graduating from the University of Northern Iowa, she directed a large-scale Day Camp operation for over 600 children. In her late 20s, she lived on an island in Japan with a family and directed camps. Lisa returned to the States to attend graduate school in Chicago.
CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
Leading over 50 teams on trips she directed day camps for children in Africa, Australia, Brazil, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Philippines, and the United States. Each of these unique trips provided team building experiences in unique and dynamic cultural contexts.
These experiences in her 30s shaped who Lisa is today. She believes everyone has a story and is worthy of being seen as individuals within their families, workplaces, society, and world. Understanding what good judgment is and how it is learned is central to achieving and creating a safe space for people to sense belonging, feel respected, and know their voices will be heard.
expanding horizons
Lisa was employed by the State of Iowa, managed two small businesses, worked in higher education, and served as the Executive Director of a nonprofit. Lisa’s work in higher education sharpened her skills to ask questions, define a problem, analyze assumptions and biases, consider other interpretations, and tolerate ambiguity. Not all of her places of employment intentionally focused on supporting and celebrating diversity in their work culture. This is what sparked her passion for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access.
Each of these professional development opportunities enhanced Lisa's life experiences and refined her critical thinking skills that have wide applications in life. An essential aspect of building engaged and happy employees is based on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access. Lisa feels organizations with strong diversity cultures are more likely to have employees with increased job satisfaction, higher levels of trust, and are more engaged.
LIVING WITH
intentionality
Lisa is actively involved in her community and is an Ambassador for the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. In January '23, she co-founded Intentional Connections for women to make business and leadership connections where everyone can be seen, heard, and valued. Lisa provides consulting services to help launch Intentional Connections in various communities throughout Iowa
and other states.
Lisa also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, working out, hiking, and traveling. She aspires to live intentionally and connect with people in the adventures of life.