FOUNDER & MANAGING PARTNER

Lisa’s diverse professional background includes work in the fields of education, workforce development, community organizing, human services, community development, and arts and culture. She is trained as an urban planner and her decades of experience nationally as a practitioner, researcher, impact evaluator and strategist have significantly shaped her work and belief in multidimensional approaches to community building and economic well-being. In addition, she has worked throughout her career on efforts that strengthen non-profit organizations focused on social change – initiatives designed to improve planning, organizational learning and reflection, as well as research and data utilization in order to deepen impact and effect systems change. These interests and experiences are reflected in her focus on driving capital to overlooked communities, social impact and financing effective social solutions in ways that bring them successfully to scale.

SENIOR ADVISOR

Melissa is Founder of 1863 Ventures, a business development program that accelerates New Majority entrepreneurs from high potential to high growth. In this role she created a community of over 10,000 New Majority entrepreneurs in three years. She serves as General Partner of 1863 Venture Fund, Venture Partner at NextGen Ventures and serves as an advisor to the New Voices Foundation and New Voices Fund, as well as the Halcyon Fund. She is also a member of the Goldman Sachs’ One Million Black Women Advisory Council, Launch with GS Advisory Council, Fast Company Executive Board, Square & Forbes Small Business Advisory Team, as well as the Target Accelerators Entrepreneurs Advisory Council. Melissa is a professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University where she teaches impact investing, social entrepreneurship, P2P economies, and innovation.