If you’re looking for a leader who embodies what it means to use your skills and resources to spark positive change, look no further than my good friend Lisa Goodman. Lisa is my August inspiration because of her dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives throughout her impressive 30+ year career path and tireless commitment to advancing communities.
Lisa is a successful businesswoman with experience in complex and capital-intensive sectors, including technology, health care, retail, financial services, commercial real estate, and hospitality. She is currently on the executive team of The Benaroya Company, a real estate company that finances, develops, and manages projects for global and regional organizations.
The Benaroya Company and Clayco work to cultivate inclusive environments with integrity and teamwork, which Lisa has accomplished in various industries. We understand the value of embracing change and facilitating equal opportunities for both individuals and society as a whole to succeed.
As an art collector, I admire Lisa’s position as an arts advocate and activist collector of the African diaspora and Latinx contemporary artwork. She earned herself among the rankings of the world’s top 200 collectors of 2022, loaning much of the social justice and gender-focused collection to global museums. Lisa has also worked on projects with other museums and art organizations, including the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, where she helped successfully lead the fundraising for the Obama portraits.
There is no shortlist for Lisa’s resume, including creating, scaling, and selling Service Intelligence Inc., a multi-million dollar company. You can also find Lisa featured in countless media outlets such as The Huffington Post, CIO Review, The Seattle Times, and ArtNews.
Despite her numerous accomplishments in business, Lisa’s selfless commitment to people makes her my inspiration. As an advisor to Women in Cloud, she is helping bring $1B in new net economic access for women entrepreneurs and professionals by 2030 through international partnerships. She is also the co-founder of Restart Partners, a non-profit organization that assists governments and community-based enterprises in achieving a more inclusive and equitable economy after the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is no slowing Lisa down when it comes to philanthropy and generating creative solutions to better our world. Fostering inclusive spaces that celebrate diversity is necessary to give everyone a sense of belonging and welfare, regardless of background or lifestyle. Thank you, Lisa, for helping build a more inclusive society where we value and support each other.
