top of page
DSC09395.jpeg

DISCOVER LISHA BELL

the power of ordinary people to make radical changes.

Lisha's Story: Welcome

Welcome
to My Site

I am my ancestors #goals. My great grandfather worked on the railroads to connect the south to the West. Here my family settled in the city of dreams, Los Angeles,  from  domestic helpers and cooks to entrepreneurs. In this city I became the first in my family to attend college at the University of Southern California and my life changed. 

Exposed to the innovation of the .com movement, I moved to the San Francisco Bay area to start my career in tech. I built the earliest digital financial products like online banking, bill pay, digital wallets. From large fortune 100 companies to small startups, I’ve led global teams, built new products from the ground up, and innovated on existing capabilities. 

After 20 years in tech, I have found my exact purpose. Connecting, building, liberating marginalized communities from financial oppression.  I do this by building  and investing in products that serve community needs. I value humanity and culture and work to elevate any ideas that power people.  I use  my super powers to bridge the capital divide. 

Most importantly, I live to build a better world for my daughter.

swv (1).png

Who is Lisha?

Lisha Bell is a technology innovator with deep roots in financial disruptive companies. She brings over 20 years of building governance frameworks driving innovation focused on digital money movement solutions that have elevated and created new revenue streams for iconic brands. She has built and invested in fintech products that changed consumer transaction behavior from point of sale, e-commerce, or peer-to-peer payments. Her career is rooted in the .com boom focused on consumer and merchant preferences, resulting in the evolution of digital adoption.  

 

 Lisha worked at Wells Fargo, Kohl’s, Feedzai where she led the effort to build the earliest digital fintech products, including online banking, bill pay, and digital wallets.  With over 20 years experience in Fintech innovation, Lisha has been at the forefront, leading teams that has resulted in revolutionizing the US$ 8 trillion consumer payments industry.  She launched the first Near Field Communications (NFC) contactless wallet in 2011, which later became Apple Pay and Google Pay.  Lisha then joined PayPal, where she spearheaded the launch of Venmo's commerce platform that has grown to processing annual payment volume of US$ 244 billion, and has been widely adopted by key mobile first merchants including Uber, Hulu, and Poshmark.  

Lisha is at PayPal Ventures, where she leads the Economic Opportunity Fund, the $100M investment into diverse emerging fund managers.  She leads to identify and assess investment opportunities, manage risk, and drive returns with an ESG  perspective.   Lisha is a tireless advocate for diversity and led instrumental conversations with leadership buy-in for building racial equity considerations into the firm's governance and decision-making.  She developed a framework at PayPal to develop a comprehensive fund strategy to promote diversity and inclusion in venture capital.

 

Lisha served on the Nominating Committee, Board of Governors, University of Southern California during the search for a new President for their $6.2B operations. Digital transformation, access to financial capital, and corporate governance are Lisha’s “North Star” for closing the racial wealth gaps. The arc of Lisha's career journey of investing at the intersection of “E” and “S” of ESG, began with her childhood experience at the Cashier (weekend shifts) at her Dad’s gas station, “Bell’s Shell” in Los Angeles, California, and includes various experiences as a Product Director at Feedzai, a Series D venture-backed firm based in Portugal specializing in AI machine learning to leading the Board of Black Girl Venrtures. 

 

Lisha has been recognized as JFF changemaker.Lisha holds a BSc in Business Administration, Information Systems from USC,as well as MBAs from UC Berkeley and Columbia Business School. As a life-long learner, Lisha completed the Black Corporate Board Readiness (BCBR) program, Leavey School of Business, Silicon Valley Santa Clara University.

IMG_1240.jpg
SHOP | Merchandise
HOLIDAY SALE: Save 20% on two or more items through 12/30!

Support Lisha's growing multi-media brand in these custom designed apparel and accessory pieces!

Lisha's Story: Image
african-american-business-woman-by-window.jpg
Featured Articles