Planted: Friday December 24, 2021

Last tended: Friday December 24, 2021

Hi, I am Lisa-Marie [This is a placeholder and I will come back to this page and write a better about me page. For now, I will use my official bio, but I would like to write one that fits the tone of this digital garden.]

I'm an open innovation consultant at an innovation and strategy consulting firm. My academic research and on-the-ground experience in economic development, research, and programs gives me a 360-degree lens on complex challenges. I excel at bringing order to chaos by homing in on the details and zooming out to see the big picture, creating a path toward meaningful change.

Prior to joining my consulting firm, I was an economic development program manager for the Division of Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Bronx Community College/CUNY, where I helped the Division win $500,000 in funding for the Blackstone LaunchPad program, managed the Ascend New York City program, strengthened community relationships through the Jerome Avenue Revitalization Collaborative, and provided strategic direction on entrepreneurship programming at the college. I believe that collaboration and place-based approaches can serve as economic development fuel for inclusive and sustainable economies.

I'm a proud alumna of Sacred Heart Academy, Spelman College, the University of Miami, Michigan State University, and the CORO New York Neighborhood Leadership Program. Michigan State University is where I earned a doctorate in Geography with a focus on urban-economic geography, entrepreneurship, and qualitative methods. I'm a first-generation Haitian American, and I'm committed to supporting the cultural, environmental, and political infrastructures of Haiti. In the course of volunteering my time and skills, I've developed limited working proficiency in Haitian Creole. I've spent over a decade in indie publishing, most recently exploring strategies for change via my blossoming digital garden, Lima Pea Co.