Lisa has dedicated her career to advancing girls’ and women’s education and leadership
empowerment. With professional and personal travels to over 25 countries, she brings a blend
of international and nonprofit leadership, strategic donor engagement, partnership development,
policy expertise, and field experience – spanning global institutions like The World Bank and
UNESCO. Her roles have also included secondary and university-level educator, mentor and
advocate for families of students with diverse learning needs, and coalition builder for the UN
Women’s Conference. Lisa’s work with Hmong refugee girls and in countries such as Mongolia
and Tanzania has provided firsthand insights into the complex challenges faced by young
women globally – insights that deeply inform her commitment to SHE-CAN’s mission.
Lisa’s extensive experience, combined with her active role in SHE-CAN’s programming, equips
her to champion for the organization and engage effectively with funders and partners. She is a
proud SHE-CAN Lead Mentor to Madusu Kelleh (Babson ‘29) and a Take the Lead Guide to
Mamuyan Jabateh (SHE-CAN Scholar ‘30). She firmly believes that the transformative power of
education and leadership training extends far beyond individual achievement – impacting
families, communities, and entire nations. For Lisa, investing in one SHE-CAN scholar fuels
long-term, generational change.
Lisa holds a PhD in International Comparative Education and an MA in Sociology from Stanford
University, along with an MEd from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and a BA from
Tufts University.
