Lisa Zarzeczny

Co-founder/CEO | Elevate

Lisa is a passionate advocate of Canada’s tech and innovation economy. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Elevate, a mission-driven not for profit organization at the intersection of technology, arts and social innovation. In 2017, Lisa was instrumental in launching Elevate Festival, growing it from 5,000 attendees to over 20,000 in three short years. Overseeing Festival programming, Lisa worked to welcome speakers including Former First Lady Michelle Obama, VP Al Gore, Eric Schmidt, Martha Stewart and more. Under Lisa’s leadership, Elevate launched an innovation arm and flagship accelerator program and several new programs designed to support women-identified and non-binary founders.

Previously, Lisa oversaw marquee events and educational programs at MaRS Discovery District, one of the world’s largest urban innovation hubs. She graduated from McGill University with a B.A Honours in History & Political Science and completed a post-graduate diploma for Project Management from Sheridan College.