Lisa Burton O'toole, PhD
About Lisa Burton O'toole, PhD
Lisa Burton O'Toole, PhD, serves as Vice President at HearstLab, where she leads initiatives to invest in and support women-led companies. With a strong academic background in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and experience on multiple boards, she actively engages with emerging startups and provides valuable resources to enhance their growth.
Work at Hearst
Lisa Burton O'Toole serves as Vice President at HearstLab, a position she has held since 2017. In this role, she leads initiatives that invest in and support women-led companies across the United States, Europe, and Japan. She engages with HearstLab Scouts, a network of over 70 women leaders within Hearst, to foster collaboration and support for female entrepreneurs. O'Toole provides seed investment and access to essential resources, including legal support and expertise in user experience design, DevOps engineering, and hiring. She collaborates closely with portfolio companies to design and develop initial data science solutions for their products.
Board Observer Roles
O'Toole holds several Board Observer positions across various organizations. Since 2022, she has served as a Board Observer for Junum and Rock Paper Coin. Additionally, she has been a Board Observer for Elotl since 2020 and for Barometer since 2023. Her involvement with these companies allows her to provide strategic guidance and insights based on her extensive experience in technology and investment. She also served as a Board Observer for Mon Ami from 2021 to 2022.
Education and Expertise
Lisa Burton O'Toole has a strong educational background in Mechanical Engineering. She earned her Bachelor of Science (BS) degree from Duke University. She furthered her studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she achieved both a Master of Science (MS) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mechanical Engineering. This academic foundation supports her expertise in technology and data science, which she applies in her current role at HearstLab.
Background
O'Toole co-founded a startup that leveraged social media data to help brands understand their customers online. This experience contributed to her understanding of market dynamics and customer engagement, which she utilizes in her current role at HearstLab. Her work focuses on fostering innovation and supporting the growth of women-led companies in the technology sector.
Achievements
Throughout her career, O'Toole has demonstrated a commitment to supporting women in business and technology. At HearstLab, she has played a pivotal role in leading investment initiatives that empower female entrepreneurs. Her engagement with HearstLab Scouts exemplifies her dedication to building networks that promote women's leadership in various industries.