Lisa Bottoms has a passion for helping organizational and business leaders find solutions to further build their capacity and help those that they serve. As a seasoned strategist, leadership advisor and entrepreneur, Lisa has over 30 years of experience in developing shared visions, missions and values, building collaborations and teams, coaching, advising and training leaders and building strong infrastructures, programs and services.
Lisa has held leadership roles in public policy, human services, non-profits and in businesses. As CEO/President of Bottom Line Consulting Group, she assists non-profits, governments, and businesses in developing, designing and implementing strategy, leadership skills and programs, products and services. Lisa’s consulting clientele range in size from Tri-C to small business startups. She has provided a variety of consulting services, from strategic planning and DEI assessments/work plans, analysis and recommendations, product/services launch plans, to organizational development, talent search, venture capital pitches and leadership development. She has filled the roles of “Acting COO” and “CPO” for her clients.
Lisa sets herself apart from other consulting firms by using her government, nonprofit and for-profit experience to position organizations and companies for success. Lisa is able to see the big picture and yet drill down to specific actions by listening, assessing, identifying problems and potential innovative solutions with her clients. Lisa has led large and small projects that has transformed organizations and businesses.
Lisa is recognized as a national thought leader in city-wide child & youth development strategies, strategy development, human services and public-private partnerships. She has cultivated an extensive network of relationships at the local, regional and national levels. In addition, she has served as a speaker, panelist and moderator at national, regional and local sector conferences.
Prior to consulting, Lisa was Program Director for Human Services and Child/Youth Development for The Cleveland Foundation where she implemented large-scale operations projects including a $10M non-profit youth development system. She has held senior leadership roles at Cuyahoga County whereby she developed and implemented a public policy collaborative Council that implemented $14M government child and youth programming, and public policy.
In her current role, Lisa is certified in multiple DiSC assessment tools. She works with organizations and firms to build effective teams, and organizations and leaders through personal and professional development. In addition, she develops multiple strategic plans, diversity, equitable and inclusion plans, theory of change, logic models and work plans for organizations and companies. Lisa has hired over 26 staff and has a yearly retention rate of 87%, and has trained and coached staff from multiple sectors. She advises CEO’s and Boards regularly and has raised over $500,000 in the last two years. Lisa facilitates community engagement/focus groups, trainings, retreats and creates new programs and cross-sector collaborations.
Lisa has served on numerous boards including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association, and The Links Incorporated. Lisa is currently in Leadership Cleveland Class 2022. She has received several awards including the YWCA Women of Professional Excellence Award, David C. Sweets Distinguished Alumni Non-Profit Leader Award and Who’s Who in Black Cleveland. Lisa earned a master's degree from Cleveland State University, and bachelor's degree from Kent State University. She is married with four children and lives in Cleveland Heights.