Cheryl Yaffe Kiser

Cheryl Kiser is a pioneering force in the world of social innovation, inspiring leaders across sectors to tackle the most pressing challenges of our time. Her approach to creating durable impact is rooted in an entrepreneurial mindset, a hyper-focus on relationships, and an unwavering clarity of purpose.

A sought-after speaker, consultant, and trainer, Cheryl applies the Four Conversations Framework that helps people move beyond transactional relationships and create “breakthrough interactions” that are relevant and responsive to all stakeholders. Whether interactive workshops or multiday training programs, Cheryl engages audiences with the mindset and practices needed to forge meaningful partnerships, lean into the ambiguous and urgent, and develop solutions that create economic and social value simultaneously.

Cheryl has co-designed numerous transformative programs with innovative leaders at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Verizon Foundation, Toyota Foundation, and other organizations. For example, she co-designed and continues to lead the Nonprofit Entrepreneurial Leadership executive certificate program, building the capacity of hundreds of nonprofit leaders to lead and innovate, especially when facing critical moments of transition or growth. She has partnered with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta to co-create an Entrepreneurial Advocacy training program, build the capacity for people to engage effectively in civic life and promote equity. She also has designed custom programs for corporate foundations to develop the capacity of their “entrepreneurs inside” who are driving social innovation.

Cheryl has a reputation as a “positive disruptor” from decades working at the intersections of business and society. While getting her master’s in social policy and social work, she worked at the start of the Employee Assistance and Work-Life movements. When her career led her to academia where she has worked for nearly 30 years, she was influential in growing the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement, first at the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship and then at Babson College’s Institute for Social Innovation.

Cheryl’s visionary leadership flourished in her role as the founding executive director of Babson’s Institute for Social Innovation where she served for 15 years. The Institute was founded to help Babson live into its new mission to educate entrepreneurial leaders who create great economic and social value. To achieve this, Cheryl ensured the Institute’s work was cross-cutting, successfully embedding the practice of social innovation into curriculum, experiential learning, accelerators, and lifelong learning. During that time, Cheryl also served as the interim CEO when the Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership first launched at Babson, providing strategic guidance to ensure its success.

Cheryl is the author of Creating Social Value: A Guide for Leaders and Changemakers, an influential book for students and CSR practitioners alike. When the first Project ROI research project was published in 2015, establishing the tangible value that corporate responsibility can deliver when done well, Forbes declared it was “a godsend for any company executive trying to make the case for increasing their focus and investment in CSR.”

She continues to influence the strategy, operations, and mindsets of dozens of Fortune 500 companies, global NGOs, community organizations, academic institutions, and startups. Cheryl has also actively served on Boards, such as The Base in Roxbury and Wildhearts National Advisory Board.

With unparalleled expertise and energy, Cheryl Kiser continues to shape the future of responsible business, teaching and modeling the power of entrepreneurial leadership and relational design.