Lisa Finkelstein

Lisa roamed across the globe teaching and working as a community organizer before arriving in San Francisco. Once in the Bay Area she focused her career in public affairs providing event production, outreach support and engagement strategies to such groups as the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, University of California, Full Circle Fund, and the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund. At the same time, she established the San Francisco based Presidio Gate Group, a public interest firm to help independent consultants work collaboratively on shared community projects.

Prior to living in California, Lisa also served as an educational and philanthropic advisor to Congressman Jared Polis. Together they opened four public high schools and led an initiative to provide thousands of refurbished computers to disenfranchised young people.  As the Founding Executive Director of the Jared Polis Foundation, she created a diversified philanthropic strategy that Rep. Polis continues to rely on today.

She currently works as the Audience Development Manager at G‑dcast, a media production company and received a BA from the University of Oregon and earned a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University.  In her spare time she gardens, babysits to support her global wanderlust, teaches religious school and spoils her nieces.