Hopeful living and impactful leadership
Lisa C. Williams, Founder
Lisa C. Williams established The Centre for H.O.P.E. LLC in response to the scarcity of resources and support available for mature veteran and non-veteran women business owners. H.O.P.E.'s mission is to provide professional and entrepreneurial education, training, and development for women and other underserved populations. Before becoming a renowned advocate for women and girls, she served her country as a commissioned officer in the United States Armed Forces. Ms. Williams had the distinction of serving in both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army and completed her military service with honor.
Lisa is an author, philanthropist, and torch-bearer. A sought-after orator, trainer, and listener, she has shared her message on national and international platforms—from the White House and the United Nations to Guam, Italy, Germany, Africa, Uzbekistan, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Lisa was the inaugural chair of the OSCE ODIHR International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council (ISTAC) and has received multiple national and international awards and honors. She travels the world as founder and keynote speaker for The Centre for H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Excel) and hosts the podcast Front Porch Conversations.
Her keynote addresses and podcasts cover issues like the causal relationship between systemic social disparities and the consequential impact of trafficking and exploitation on children and communities; self-care for women; entrepreneurship education, training, and development for women veterans and non-veterans; building collaborative communities; and the healing power of conscious living.
In 1999, Lisa founded Circle of Friends: Celebrating Life, Inc., and dedicated over two decades of her time, energy, and resources to educating, equipping, and empowering girls and women to live their best lives. Using her more than 20 years of philanthropic service, she established the Lisa C. Williams Listening Room in the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground and the Lisa C. Williams Endowments at Boston University. Each endowment is likely to be worth more than $5 million or, collectively, $15 million and will be distributed to students through annual scholarship awards for 100 years. Scholarship awards are based on the financial needs of students from low-socioeconomic-status families/communities or those adversely impacted by childhood poverty, neglect, abuse, polyvictimization, complex trauma, trafficking, sexual exploitation, or cultural marginalization.
Lisa C. Williams earned a bachelor of science from Campbell University and a master of arts from Bowie State University. She also attended the Boston University graduate program in Italy and a doctoral program at Virginia Technical College. Lisa is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC).