Operator · Acquirer · Advisor

I buy businesses, build leaders, and help owners protect what they built.

20+ years scaling P&Ls and developing talent - now acquiring a small business, advising owners on exit readiness, and open to select board roles.

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Track Record

Revenue scaled across career$260M+

Leaders coached into promotion30+

AI/IoT business unit, built in 18 months$30M

SBA pre-qualified acquisition capacity$7M

What I Do

Three ways I work with business owners.

Whether you're selling, preparing to sell, or looking for board-level rigor, the same operating discipline shows up in all three.

Business Acquisition

I'm actively acquiring a roofing, electrical, or solar contracting company in the $2–7M revenue range - self-funded and SBA pre-qualified. I understand that a sale is about more than price; it's about honoring a life's work and continuing to grow it with integrity.

Tell me about your business →

Signature Offer

Exit Strategy Roadmap - VIP Day

A high-ticket, single-day intensive for owners planning to exit in the next 1–5 years. Using the same due-diligence lens buyers apply, we get your business genuinely buyer-ready before you ever sit down with a broker.

Explore the VIP Day →

Board & Advisory

Board Governance Fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors, and advisor to Naber Inc. and Dynamics Intelligence. Open to select board and advisory roles where operating rigor and mission alignment matter.

Discuss a role →

About Me

Business is one of the most powerful forces for positive change.

I grew up in Japan, attending an international school, and I speak intermediate Spanish. That early exposure to different systems and cultures shaped how I think about business today: the fundamentals travel, but the execution has to be local, human, and honest.

I spent 12 years at CDW - moving from enterprise tech sales, to a sales leader running a $72M P&L, to a corporate entrepreneur who built a $30M AI/IoT business unit from scratch in 18 months. I generated $230M+ in revenue in various roles, then carried that operating discipline into deal sourcing and fundraising through Alumni Ventures and Purple Arch Ventures, and deal sourcing and due diligence as a General Partner at VDOSH.

I'm also Co-founder and CEO of Social Optics, an ed-tech company helping teens with autism build communication and social-emotional skills. And I'm the author of Live Your Passion: How to Leave the Corporate World and Begin Your Startup Journey.

Today that same throughline - find the fundamentals, build the team, don't lose the human element - is what I bring to acquiring a business, advising owners on their exit, and any board table I sit at.

How I Lead

"I bring out the best in people, help them level up their game, and help level up the organizations they support. It's what I do. All with heart."

I've found that focusing on the fundamentals of business builds the strongest foundation - and that the real magic happens when you balance that discipline with room to innovate and iterate.

A strengths-based approach is how I build high-functioning teams: find what someone is already great at, and help them do more of it. That's shown up in every business I've built, and in the 30+ people I've helped get promoted along the way.

How I Got Here

A career built on scaling teams and P&Ls.

Electronics Technician

FBI · TS/SCI Clearance

Started my career with the technical rigor and clearance-level trust that still shapes how I operate today.

Enterprise Sales → Sales Leader → Corporate Entrepreneur

CDW · 12 years

Ran a $72M P&L as a sales leader, then built a $30M AI/IoT business unit from scratch in 18 months as part of a Digital Transformation for Education practice. $230M+ in revenue generated across roles.

Sales Leader

Zoom · 111% quota attainment

Carried enterprise sales leadership into a hyper-growth software company.

Fellow

Alumni Ventures / Purple Arch Ventures

Deal sourcing and fundraising in the venture ecosystem.

General Partner

VDOSH

Deal sourcing and due diligence - the same lens I now apply to my own acquisition search.

Co-founder & CEO

Social Optics

Took an ed-tech company from idea to a product used by students and educators in the classroom.

Acquisition Entrepreneur

Present

SBA pre-qualified up to $7M, self-funded, actively acquiring a trades business as the next chapter - and a stepping stone toward a longer-term mission around sustainable energy.

People I've Developed

The part of the track record that doesn't fit in a stat.

30+ people coached into promotion is a number. Here's what that actually looked like for two of them.

Helped a tech seller move into management, then into a Head of Sales & Country Director role.

Seller → Head of Sales & Country Director

Helped a jewelry salesperson move into tech, quadruple her income, and eventually start her own business.

Retail → Tech → Founder

Live Your Passion book cover by Lisa Litherland

The Book

Live Your Passion: How to Leave the Corporate World and Begin Your Startup Journey

I wrote down the thinking and the stories I kept coming back to - starting with how to actually find your passion, then walking through the real basics of becoming a startup founder.

Get it on Amazon

Featured On

A few conversations I've been part of.

Podcast

From the Sports Field to the Startup World: A Journey of Passion and Tenacity Listen →

Video

How to Become Unstoppable in Your Career: From Corporate Comfort to Inspirational Impact Watch →

Podcast

Embracing Your Awkward Authenticity: The Myth of Perfection Listen →

A Personal Note

I've spent my career finding what's already great in a business, or a person, and nourishing it to grow. If you're thinking about selling, preparing for what's next, or just want to talk through what's possible, I'd genuinely love to hear your story. That's the work. All with heart.

- Lisa