Hi, I’m Lisa
Senior Creative Strategist and Producer
I build and lead creative teams that turn complex challenges into experiences people care about. With 15+ years directing documentaries, immersive installations, and digital experiences, I know what it takes to get from concept to execution, and how to guide teams through the messy middle. I’ve led projects for PBS, Spotify, Fortune 500 companies and startups, always with the same philosophy: start with deep curiosity, listen harder than you talk, and make work that matters.
What I Do
Creative Strategy & Direction
I help organizations figure out what story they need to tell and how to tell it across channels. Whether it’s a campaign, a product launch, or a brand evolution, I develop the framework and lead teams through execution.
Content & Media Production
While I’m not making documentaries full-time anymore, I bring that production rigor to everything I do. I understand what it takes to get from script to screen, from concept to launch, and I can lead teams through that process with confidence.
Why My Background Matters
I didn’t come up through traditional advertising or marketing. I spent years in the field with a camera, learning how to find stories, build trust, and make something meaningful with limited resources. That experience taught me:
How to listen. Documentary work is about deep curiosity and letting the story emerge rather than forcing it
How to lead under constraints. Documentaries rarely have enough time or money, so you learn to be resourceful and decisive
How to work across disciplines. On a documentary crew, you’re often wearing multiple hats and translating between creative and technical teams
How story structure works. Narrative isn’t just for films; it’s how humans make sense of everything
These skills translate directly to leading creative teams, designing user experiences, and developing brand strategies. I’ve just applied them to different canvases.
Let’s Talk
I thrive in senior creative leadership roles where I can help organizations solve complex problems through thoughtful strategy and strong execution. If you’re looking for someone who can think strategically, lead confidently, and make things that matter, let’s connect.
Market Validation Research Global Logistics Company
The Challenge: A Fortune 500 logistics company wanted to enter a new vertical but needed to validate a $50M+ market opportunity before committing resources.
My Approach: I directed a cross-functional team of 8 through ethnographic field research, prototype testing and stakeholder interviews. Built journey maps, personas, and a strategic roadmap that translated user insights into actionable business recommendations.
The Impact: Delivered a go/no-go recommendation to the C-suite that prevented a costly market entry mistake. The research uncovered fundamental misalignments between the business model and user needs, saving millions in potential losses.
Capabilities demonstrated: Research design, team leadership, strategic synthesis, executive communication
Experiential Installation Spotify House at SXSW
The Challenge: Spotify needed an installation for their annual SXSW activation that would go beyond the typical photo booth; something that would genuinely engage music fans and showcase their discovery engine.
My Approach: Led creative strategy and production for an interactive experience that let festival-goers create personalized SXSW playlists in real-time. Directed the concept development, UX design, and on-site production. Built the experience around music genomes; users could slide between artists and attributes (BPM, danceability, indie vs. mainstream) to generate custom playlists they could share socially.
The Impact: Created the most talked-about activation at Spotify House that year. Thousands of attendees engaged with the installation, generating hundreds of shared playlists and social posts. The client returned for subsequent years.
Capabilities demonstrated: Creative direction, experience design, brand extension, production management.
Documentary | Tomlinson Hill
The Challenge: Tell the 150-year story of race relations in America through the microcosm of one small Texas town—in a way that felt intimate, not pedantic.
My Approach: Produced, directed, and shot this feature-length documentary over three years. Led a small crew through years of relationship-building with two families – one Black, one white – both descended from the same slave plantation. Executed everything from fundraising and grant writing to cinematography and post-production strategy.
The Impact: Winner of the $10,000 Silver Heart Award. Broadcast nationally on PBS World. The film became a teaching tool in universities and a community catalyst for difficult conversations about race and reconciliation.
Capabilities demonstrated: Long-form storytelling, stakeholder management, production leadership, visual storytelling.