ABOUT

They’re infrastructure problems — unclear strategy, broken decision-making, misaligned governance — disguised as messaging that doesn’t stick or campaigns that don’t gain traction.

I’m Lisa Chensvold (learn how to pronounce my name), and I work with purpose-driven organizations to diagnose what’s creating friction — then build communications infrastructure that works.

With 20 years of experience helping organizations think strategically about communications, I bring a diagnostician’s lens to every engagement. I think deeply so you can communicate clearly and act with confidence.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve led communications strategies that advance bold missions, shape perception, and build trust.

I’ve also learned that the best communications can’t fix broken infrastructure — unclear strategy, too many priorities, or misaligned teams.

That’s why I start by asking uncomfortable questions: Do you have a strategic plan you actually use? Can you tie your communications to clear business outcomes? Can you make hard choices? When the infrastructure is solid, everything else gets easier.

I’ve managed global PR for HIV research that made the cover of The Economist, taught communications fundamentals to civil servants in Afghanistan, and helped secure more than $75 million in funding for an international nonprofit. I’ve built high-functioning communications teams from scratch and repositioned a national nonprofit as a leading voice for workforce equity.

Before founding Chensvold Communications, I served as senior vice president of strategic communications at Opportunity Finance Network. There, I led national campaigns that elevated community development finance and contributed to a landmark $20 billion federal investment in the field, including $2.3 billion for OFN.

These experiences shape how I work with clients today. Whether the goal is influence, clarity, alignment, or growth, I bring the strategic clarity and practical insight organizations need to lead with confidence.

I work with purpose-driven organizations — from small arts nonprofits to national associations and social impact research centers — that know something isn’t working but can’t quite name what it is.

They need someone who will ask hard questions and surface the real issue, then build the infrastructure that reduces friction and creates momentum. Because communications isn’t an add-on, it’s how strategy shows up in the world.

Whether you’re refining a message, elevating communications as a strategic function, or launching a new voice, I help you focus on what matters and communicate it with purpose and vision.

I’ve always been someone who thinks before she speaks. The instinct to pause and ask better questions has shaped my entire approach to communications.

My background — part academic, mostly practitioner — reflects that blend. With two humanities degrees and most of a PhD, I bring the kind of deep thinking that helps organizations make sense of complexity and communicate with clarity.

I’ve cultivated both lantern and flashlight thinking — the ability to zoom out, see patterns, and explore context, and the ability to go deep when it counts. That’s how I help clients solve communications problems that are really infrastructure problems in disguise.

I’m most valuable in moments of transition, when something is shifting, evolving, or no longer working. Or when something just feels “off,” but you don’t know what to do first.

That’s when diagnosis matters most. Because fixing the wrong problem is expensive, exhausting, and doesn’t get you where you need to go.

If you think we’re a fit, let’s talk.