Meet Lisa LaFrance | Impact The Palm Beaches President | Community Builder | Philanthropist | Entrepreneur | Connector

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa LaFrance and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Lisa, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Impact the Palm Beaches brings together a community of like-minded women to ignite transformational change in Northern and Central Palm Beach County. Through the power of collective giving, we come together to make multiple $100,000 grants to local nonprofit programs every year. Since our inception in 2015, we have given away over $1.5 million to incredible non-profit programs. We build community while helping the community and we truly become partners with the agencies we support financially. We work together to help each other increase awareness about our respective missions and spread passion for our purpose!
What should our readers know about your business?
I entered college with a passion for both numbers and psychology, but was assigned an economics adviser who convinced me to pursue that degree as the path to financial success – this was in the 1980s when “greed was good.” I went on in the late 90’s to join three other partners in launching a hedge fund firm with quantitative investment strategies largely based on behavioral finance. In many ways, I am most proud of the fact that I was both able and willing to retire at the age of 45, which I think is somewhat unusual. With no real plan in mind, I moved to South Florida and began to think about doing nonprofit work. In 2019, I discovered Impact the Palm Beaches and, frankly, became obsessed with the model. My $1,000 donation turned into multiple $100,0000 community grants? I had never seen that leverage or rate of return even in the hedge fund world!
I credit my business success to putting myself in the right place at the right time. Intelligence, along with a strong work ethic and interpersonal skills, got me through the early years as I built my level of experience and industry knowledge. It was not easy, especially as a young woman in a male-dominated industry. I was fortunate to work with a lot of successful powerful women who not only showed me it was possible to advance in this field, but who also supported my career aspirations. What I have learned throughout my journey is that if you do what you truly love it is not work, if you are promoting what you truly believe in it is not sales, and if and when it stops being fun it is OK to walk away.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have to recognize my parents for modeling a commitment to community and civic duty. Both of my parents served on several Boards throughout their lives. My mother helped to start a Volunteer Bureau and went on to work for my hometown United Way. My father owned his own real estate business and later served on the City Council
Website: www.impactalmbeaches.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactthepalmbeaches/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impactpalmbeaches
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Impact100PB
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@impactthepalmbeaches9293
Other: Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/impact-the-palm-beaches-42615735493
Image Credits
Capehart Photography