Lissette provides strategic and executional leadership on critical business priorities and leads innovation efforts which will expand Blue Meridian’s work as it evolves. She oversees Blue Meridian’s racial equity efforts and supports the organization in embedding a racial equity lens in its investment strategy. Additionally, Lissette explores new philanthropic investment opportunities, leads due diligence on potential Blue Meridian investees and manages relationships with current investees.

Prior to joining Blue Meridian, Lissette served as Vice President and Chief Program Officer of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and as Managing Director of PropelNext, which she planned, launched and oversaw as EMCF’s initiative to sharpen the skills and advance the effectiveness of promising youth-serving nonprofits. Before joining the Clark Foundation in 2010, she spent 12 years, the last six as Senior Vice President for Field Development, at YouthBuild USA, where she ran large-scale training and technical assistance programs and provided capacity-building support to youth organizations.

Lissette acquired experience in grantmaking as a senior program officer and director of the Fund for the Homeless at the Boston Foundation. She was also the founding executive director of Casa Nueva Vida, a shelter for homeless Latina women and their children. She has written about nonprofit management as a contributing editor of Nonprofit Quarterly, on whose editorial board she served for six years.

Lissette holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University and a master’s degree in organizational development from Fielding University.