Lisa Z. Fain

Lisa Z. Fain is the Center for Mentoring Excellence™ CEO, a global speaker, and an expert in the intersection of cultural competency and mentoring. Her passion for diversity and inclusion work fuels her strong conviction that leveraging differences creates a better workplace and drives better business results.

Lisa brings her energy, enthusiasm, and engagement to any group, facilitating lively workshops and training, and delivering interactive speeches with practical steps that can be implemented right away. She is an executive coach who guides leaders to create better workplaces, and is known for her frank, kind, and holistic approach to helping leaders help themselves. As Senior Director of the Diversity and Inclusion function at Outerwall, Inc., Lisa spearheaded the development, establishment, and implementation of its diversity initiative. Prior to assuming that position, she worked as Outerwall’s in-house counsel, coaching leaders and partnering with their human resources department to establish fair and effective policies and practices to sustain the organization as it grew in size, revenue, and renown.

For almost a decade, Lisa practiced law in the Chicago office of a major multinational law firm, where she counseled employers on creating inclusive policies and practices. While in that role, she served as a Master Trainer who directed thousands of employees at companies large and small on creating better workplaces.

Lisa is a certified mediator, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Social Policy from Northwestern University, and holds a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law. Lisa lives in Seattle, where she loves to hike and explore the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two daughters.

Lisa is the co-author of Bridging Difference for Better Mentoring, and the 2022 revision (3rd Edition) of The Mentor’s Guide. Both are co-authored with Center for Mentoring Excellence’s founder, Dr. Lois J. Zachary.