Where legal precision meets leadership coaching — helping successful people get out of their own way.

Executive Coaching · Mentoring Programs · Global Speaker

Lisa Fain

Executive Coach · CEO, Center for Mentoring Excellence

Catalyst · Challenger

JD Northwestern University School of Law
CEO Center for Mentoring Excellence
2 Published books on mentoring

“The essence of coaching is teaching people to let go of limiting beliefs to create a better reality.”

Lisa Fain is the CEO of Center for Mentoring Excellence, a global speaker, and an expert in the intersection of cultural competency and mentoring. She brings something rare to executive coaching: the diagnostic precision of a lawyer, the strategic instinct of a corporate executive, and the empathy of a coach who’s spent her career making workplaces more inclusive. Her legal background helps her get to the root of an issue, her corporate background helps her get to the point, and her coaching experience helps clients work through those issues — or better yet, prevent them in the first place.

Lisa helps successful people get out of their own way so they can perform better and lead more effectively. Known for her frank, kind, and holistic approach, she guides leaders on a path forward built on accountability, humor, and a no-nonsense practical style that drives real results.

At Outerwall, Lisa spearheaded the development, establishment, and implementation of the company’s diversity initiative. Prior to that role, she served as Outerwall’s in-house counsel, coaching leaders and partnering with human resources to establish fair and effective policies and practices to sustain the organization as it grew in size, revenue, and renown.

For almost a decade, Lisa practiced law in the Chicago office of a major multinational law firm, where she counseled employers on creating inclusive policies and practices. While in that role, she served as a Master Trainer, directing thousands of employees at companies large and small on creating better workplaces. Through those years of legal experience, Lisa developed the deep listening and diagnostic skills that now define her coaching.

Lisa has conducted mentoring training programs for corporate, government, and educational institutions. She coaches mentors, mentees, and program administrators on how to achieve mentoring excellence and create the right environment for career and personal goals. She brings her energy, enthusiasm, and engagement to any group — facilitating lively workshops and delivering interactive speeches with practical steps that can be implemented right away.

Lisa is a certified mediator, skilled at building paths to resolution that leave all parties feeling their needs are met while helping people understand and proactively prevent conflict.

Published Works

  • The Mentor’s Guide · 3rd Edition, 2022 (co-authored with Dr. Lois J. Zachary)
  • Bridging Difference for Better Mentoring · (co-authored with Dr. Lois J. Zachary)

Why I Coach

I’ve seen from every angle — legal, corporate, coaching — what happens when people feel welcomed, seen, and appreciated at work. They share their best ideas. They lead with confidence. They lift everyone around them. I coach because I believe leveraging difference isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s what drives engagement, satisfaction, and results.

  • JD — Northwestern University School of Law
  • BS, Social Policy — Northwestern University
  • Certified Mediator
  • Executive Coaching & Leadership Development
  • Human Resource Management
  • Team Building, Leadership & Motivation
  • Organizational Development
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Mentoring Programs
  • Cultural Competency
  • Recruitment & Engagement
  • Employee Relations
  • Corporate Communications
  • Training & Professional Development
  • Employment Law
  • Global Speaking

Lisa lives in Seattle, Washington, where she enjoys hiking and exploring the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two daughters.

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