In her dynamic career Lisa Martin has been a leading change maker and entrepreneur in marketing communications, public affairs, and philanthropy development. She is also the founder and former executive director of The Netza Project, a U.S./Mexico non-profit social change organization dedicated to creating equal access to education and economic advancement for all people, including migrant and indigenous Aztec children and their families. The Netza Project helped build a now locally sustainable six-language public primary school for 500 indigenous and at-risk children in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and fostered vital advocacy, communications, scholarship, and economic empowerment initiatives in the region.

Lisa recently completed an academic year on the advancement and fundraising team of Antilles School on St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. A leading independent and college preparatory multi-cultural school in the Caribbean, Antilles is celebrating its 60th year of delivering education excellence to 500 students pre-Kindergarten to grade 12.

Lisa is accepting writing, fundraising, public relations and business development assignments.

As principal of Martin & Company, a strategic marketing communications agency, Lisa is an accomplished consultant to businesses in many markets, a published writer, and an inspiring public speaker. She has traveled extensively to engage people at all levels in partnership solutions and collective action for positive change in both commercial and social profit ventures.

Lisa Martin founded Martin & Company in Boston in 1989, and developed it as a full-service results-oriented communications consultancy that has served enterprising clients in nearly every sector—from financial services, to technology and non-profit. She’s designed and launched many innovative corporate identity, public relations and charitable giving programs, achieved significant press recognition for clients in major media, and directed engagements at complex special events.

Whether in the corporate, education, or non-profit sector, Lisa’s leadership inspires informed change-makers and socially responsible global citizens. She has collaborated in the alignment of innovative partnerships to advance literacy, reduce poverty, and empower students, educators, women, and communities across international and cultural boundaries. Through The Netza Project, she has lead initiatives to build and equip quality, equal-access classrooms and library programs in Mexico; has helped deliver shelter and health care for families in need; and instituted international scholarship, teaching internship and cultural exchange programs. The pilot Grameen-style women’s micro finance program she initiated in Mexico fosters adult literacy and the reinvestment of proceeds into local education. Her fundraising skills have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in international aid.

An Award-Winning Business Leader & Humanitarian

Lisa Martin was named Woman of the Year in the Boston region in recognition of her international charitable initiatives and business leadership. Lisa is the recipient of a Rotary International District Service Award for her outstanding commitment to world peace and understanding, and she is a Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary’s highest honor. In 2002, she was awarded a Wellesley College Alumni Stevens International Fellowship to live, work, and write in Mexico for nine months. Lisa has also received numerous commendations from the City of Zihuatanejo and State of Guerrero, Mexico for her commitment to advancing education, sustainable community development, and social justice.

Professional Background

1989 — present: Founder and Principal of Martin & Company, a full-service marketing communications, public relations and business development consultancy that serves a broad range of entrepreneurs, business pioneers, corporate clients and social change-makers to assist them in telling their stories, improving bottom-line growth, and expanding their fields of influence and success. Markets include technology, consumer, B2B, financial and professional services, travel/hospitality, and social profit. August 2010-June 2011: on the advancement team at Antilles School in the US. Virgin Islands administering fundraising events and coordinating alumni, parent and community relations.

2000 — 2010: Founder and former Executive Director of The Netza Project, a US-Mexico non-profit helping hundreds of native Aztec and Mexican children, women and families become literate, empowered and poverty free. A sustainable equal-access model school and library programs have been created through dynamic international partnerships and alliances. Scholarships, women’s financial literacy and micro-finance programs have been implemented, as well as international youth and educator exchange programs. All aspects of fundraising and non-profit company development were managed, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from a broad donor base.

1982 — 1989: Early career in strategic marketing and sales management leadership for innovative high-growth technology firms including Wang Laboratories, Inc., NYNEX, and Syntrex.

Select Awards & Achievements

• Change Activist in Residence, Bainbridge Graduate Institute

MBA Program in Sustainable Business, 2009

• North Shore Business Woman of the Year, 2003

• Rotary International District Service Award for World Peace & Understanding, 2003

• Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International’s highest honor

• Recipient, Wellesley College Alumni Stevens International Travel Fellowship, 2002

• Numerous recognitions for advancing literacy, City of Zihuatanejo & State of Guerrero, Mexico

• Distinguished Service Award from Director of Indigenous Education, State of Guerrero, Mexico

• Book in progress, Mi Escuela: Lessons on Life from Journeys into the Lives of Aztec Children

• Inspirational speaker to clubs, schools, and global change organizations

Affiliations

• Member, Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)

• Member, Past President and international project leader, Rotary International, since 1994

• Honorary Lifetime Member & former Board member, North Shore Chamber of Commerce

• Founder and Past Chair, Latino-American Leadership Council, North Shore Chamber

• Corporator, DanversBank

• Member, Maine Writers & Publishers Association (MWPA)

• Active in Wellesley College and Simon’s Rock Early College Alumni Associations

Education & Professional Development

Wellesley College — B.A. English, 1981 cum laude, graduated at age 20

Simon’s Rock Early College, 1976-1978 enrolled at age 15

Harvard University — Marketing & Public Relations graduate courses

• 'Fundraising from The Heart’ & ‘Soul of Money’ development courses, 2005-06

• Advocate of The Raising More Money® development model

• On-going training in adaptive leadership, non-profit management, social/sustainable business, and partnership education models