Arletha W Lizana

Background

About Arletha W Lizana

I’m a mission-driven strategy and operations executive with over 20 years of experience transforming organizations across healthcare, education, philanthropy, and community development. I specialize in building equity-centered, data-informed, and people-first systems that turn vision into sustainable impact. As Associate Vice President for Innovation & Strategy at Morehouse School of Medicine, I lead the Innovation Learning Laboratory — an engine for product development, community engagement, and digital curriculum design. I've raised over $15M in funding, led $14M+ in operational budgets, and developed 22 revenue-generating education products reaching 3K+ global learners. I'm also the founder of two mission-aligned ventures: → **Transforming Communities Inc.**, which equips leaders with operational tools and strategy to scale community impact → **Ceiba Women**, a culturally grounded wellness brand and school of thought rooted in ancestral healing and self-actualization Currently, I am also a Hopelab Translational Science Fellow focused on scaling Black youth mental health tools using human-centered design. Whether developing strategic frameworks, navigating complex transitions, or building internal cultures that reflect our communities, I bring a deep belief in purpose-driven leadership and systems change.