Lisa Fain is CEO of the Center for Mentoring Excellence 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.

Fain 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.

As senior director of the Diversity and Inclusion function at Outerwall, Fain 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 HR to establish fair and effective policies and practices that would sustain the organization as it grew in size, revenue, and renown.

For almost a decade, Fain practiced law in the Chicago, Illinois, office of a major multinational firm, where she counseled employers on creating inclusive policies and practices. While in that role, she served as master trainer, training thousands of employees at a variety of companies large and small on how to create a better workplace.

Fain is also an executive coach, specializing in individual and group coaching for professional women looking to design and live their best personal and professional lives. She is a certified mediator. She graduated with a BS in social policy from Northwestern University and holds a JD from Northwestern University School of Law.