Lisa Cheung is a dedicated rising leader in the field of social impact.

Lisa Cheung is a dedicated rising leader in the field of social impact. As a young person in Philadelphia, Lisa experienced growing inequity in resources and opportunities between first-generation, low-income students of color like herself and students from affluent suburbs, but she also experienced the fierce commitment and kindness of teachers and mentors in her community. These circumstances ignited Lisa’s passion to empower marginalized communities and support their social and economic mobility.

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Lisa served as a Fulbright English Teaching Fellow in rural Malaysia, where she increased students’ confidence through storytelling, and later as a Research, Learning, and Evaluation Analyst at Fidelity Foundations, making an impact by advancing investments in the education field. With characteristic persistence and a determination to break down systemic barriers, Lisa then made the leap to pursue a dual MBA/MPP degree at U-M and develop the business and policy toolkits to make a greater impact.

Lisa is an exceptional leader at U-M and serves as co-president of First at Ross, the inaugural first-generation college graduate affinity group at the Ross School of Business. Additionally, after immersing herself in impact investing as an investment associate, Lisa will serve as the next Vice President of Recruitment and Culture for the Social Venture Fund. A key part of her vision is to diversify the student investment associates and entrepreneurs who have a seat at the table and to prepare associates to effectively prioritize entrepreneurs with social impact at the heart of their work.

Highly valued by her professors and colleagues for her “exemplary intellectual curiosity, critical thinking skills, emotional intelligence, grit, and kindness,” Lisa plans to collaborate on actionable, data-driven strategies that advance social and economic mobility for underserved communities at the intersection of private and public sectors. 

CEW+ celebrates Lisa’s vision and names her a Margaret Dow Towsley Scholar.