Lisa Skeen

WORK HISTORY

SKILLS

ABOUT LISA SKEEN

I am a straight-shooter, thoughtful strategist, and articulate communicator. I am always reaching for the perfect word. I see rich opportunities in the complexity of social justice advocacy work, and I’m dedicated to articulating paths towards progress. I have spent my entire career dedicated to advancing the human rights and dignity of marginalized communities. Over the last fourteen years, I’ve worked every angle: from reporting on Latin American social movements, to providing social services for homeless women, to accompanying refugees through US resettlement processes, to pro-bono legal services for low-income tenants, to leading workshops on creative messaging for activists, to making grants to organizations of sex workers, trans, and intersex people. I’ve managed budgets and operations, built the operational structures of a start-up non-profit, planned and led events, fundraised, and made grants. An alum of the Open Society Foundations, I currently elevate the work of the Gender and Reproductive Equity and Criminal Justice portfolios as a Communications Officer for the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. I have an insatiably curious mind, and because of my broad professional experience, I’m never not making connections between people, information, and trends. I love being challenged to present ideas in a new light. I am a skilled writer, with experience writing news blogs, advertising copy, and leading social media campaigns. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, and Master’s in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. I’m a graduate of CREA’s Sexuality and Gender Rights Institute, and hold a certificate from Stanford’s International Women\'s Health and Human Rights course. People often remark on my calming, grounded presence, which has always surprised me a little. I thrive in new environments, amidst challenge. I have travelled most of the world on my own, and I feel at ease connecting with new people and different cultures. I love to discover the art in new practices, whether it’s fiction writing, floral design, copywriting for my friends’ side hustles, or being a birth doula.