Lisa Z. Fain

Lisa Z. Fain is a leadership development expert, global speaker, executive coach, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Mentoring Excellence, where she works with organizations around the world to build inclusive workplaces through effective mentoring practices. She specializes in the intersection of cultural competency, diversity, and mentoring, helping leaders and teams create environments that support growth, connection, and organizational success.

Lisa is the coauthor of the third edition of The Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, written with Dr. Lois J. Zachary. The book is a widely respected resource that offers practical tools and frameworks for facilitating mentoring relationships from beginning to closure, with expanded content addressing diversity, equity, and virtual mentoring. She also coauthored Bridging Differences for Better Mentoring, which focuses on cultural competency and strategies for mentors and mentees to connect and learn effectively across differences.

Earlier in her career, Lisa practiced employment law for nearly a decade in the Chicago office of a major multinational law firm, where she counseled employers on inclusive policies and practices and served as a master trainer. She later led the diversity and inclusion function at Outerwall, Inc., developing and implementing enterprise-wide inclusion initiatives.

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Policy and a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University. She is a certified mediator and certified life coach and is known for her engaging, practical approach to leadership development. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband and two daughters and enjoys hiking and exploring the Pacific Northwest.