Lisa Duty, Ph.D.

Lisa Duty, Ph.D. is a strategist, researcher, and advisor who helps leaders and institutions navigate change, design for the long term, and strengthen the civic foundations of communities. Her work spans foresight, innovation, education, and democratic renewal—connecting ideas with action to create lasting impact.

Previously, Lisa led the revitalization of Leadership Ohio, transforming it into a statewide force for civic vitality and constructive dialogue across diverse sectors. She founded the Ohio Civic Health Initiative, a statewide effort to understand and improve the conditions that foster trust and civic participation. This work includes the forthcoming Ohio Civic Health Index, developed in collaboration with the National Conference on Citizenship and other stakeholders. She also created Join In: Uniting Communities in Ohio—supported by the America 250–Ohio Commission—to spark reclaiming the spirit of association to strengthen Ohio.

Earlier in her career, she consulted global and national organizations such as Imagine Worldwide, Teach the World Foundation, and the Omidyar Network, and served as a Founding Partner at The Learning Accelerator and Senior Director of Innovation at KnowledgeWorks.

Lisa has worked in international forums on civics and education—from Poland and Ukraine to South Africa—and has served as adjunct faculty at The Ohio State University. She currently serves on the Ohio Commission on Service and Volunteerism, the Ohio Victim Witness Association Board, and is a member of the Association of Professional Futurists, Heterodox Academy, and Ohio Women in Government. Ohio Business Magazine named her to its "Ohio 500" list of the state's most influential leaders in 2024 and 2025.

Lisa earned a Ph.D. in Global Education from The Ohio State University, with cognates in democratization and education transformation.