Each pivot brought her closer to what she now
recognizes as her core gift: helping
organizations innovate and grow. By 2007, she
had fully transitioned into marketing, inspired
by the concept of “blended value”—the idea
that businesses should be measured not just by
profit, but also by their impact on society and
the environment “It resonated with me because
I’d written in law school about how companies
should account for environmental costs,”
she says. That conviction shaped PeakWaves
Studio, which Carter co-founded with a
colleague she met
through Catchafire, a
platform connecting
skilled professionals with
nonprofits. “We bonded
over sweat equity,
collaboration, and
wanting to do work that
matters,” she explains.
Lisa also co-founded a
very successful franchise
alarm company with her
mother after her parents’
divorce. This company
became the fastest
growing franchise in the
network. Lisa stated “ we
come full circle to her
helping me with my
business”.
After business school at CU Boulder, Carter flirted with multiple paths: she worked for
Pricewaterhouse in its emerging enterprise division, co-founded an online accounting firm in the
early days of internet banking, and even went to law school—not to practice law, but to sharpen
her analytical and consulting skills.
Carter’s journey hasn’t
been without obstacles.
She found out she had
degenerative disc disorder,
which forced her to work
from a recliner; and later, a
diagnosis of myasthenia
gravis, a rare neurological
condition that affects
muscle strength. “All of a
sudden, I had double vision,
slurred speech, balance
problems,” she recalls. A
trip to the ER finally led to a
diagnosis and treatment
that brought the condition
under control.
The Long Road to Marketing
Health Battles
and Resilience
SHE TALKS | 55