We’re profiling Social Impact leaders to gather their insights into how CSR is transforming and growing, what inspired them to enter the field, and offer advice for others who either operate in or are looking to enter the space.

As a founding member and the leader of Lyft’s social impact team, Lisa Boyd has led the creation, launch, and growth of Lyft Up — a suite of initiatives focused on increasing transportation access and equity for low-income communities. She also kicked off Lyft’s company-wide commitment to ESG (Environmental, Social, & Governance) reporting, and continues to drive internal ESG strategy, vision, and coordination. 

Tell me about your career in social impact?

I am currently the Head of Social Impact at Lyft, where I designed and built our philanthropic and ESG programs from the ground up over the past 5 years. Prior to joining Lyft, I served as the VP of Operations & Member Success at Pledge 1%, a nonprofit that advises companies on how to bake giving back into their DNA, as well as led the strategy team at DoSomething Strategic, the consulting arm of DoSomething.org which helps brands and organizations activate young people for social change. I started off my career managing water and sanitation projects in Tanzania and Malawi after studying International Relations.

What inspired you to begin working in social impact?

My experience as a Girl Scout, from elementary school through to the end of high school, instilled in me a focus on service and giving back from a very young age. Although that started off as just small projects here and there, my experience studying International Development in college helped me recognize that “social impact” could offer a meaningful career path as well. 

Why does increasing the number of people working in social impact matter?

I strongly believe that businesses can be a force for good when they have the right processes and internal values to enable positive action—and a company’s employees are key to developing and sustaining those structures and values. Regardless of title or level, most individuals have the ability to drive forward social and/or environmental impact through their current jobs in numerous ways. Given that, I don’t think we necessarily need to increase the number of people with “Social Impact” or “CSR” in their titles—what we instead should increase is a sense of responsibility among all corporate employees that they need to prioritize equity, community benefits, and environmental improvements wherever possible in their day-to-day decision making.

What is your favorite project that you have or are currently working on?

One of my favorite initiatives that I’ve worked on during my time at Lyft is our Lyft Up Voting Access Program. In every US election cycle, it’s estimated that millions of people don’t vote simply because they don’t have a way to get to the polls. For every federal election since 2018, Lyft has run a nationwide Voting Access program that helps address that issue, with a particular focus on helping individuals who traditionally face barriers to voting—including but not limited to seniors, communities of color, students, and veterans—get to the polls. In 2022, we helped hundreds of thousands of people make their voices heard who may otherwise not have been able to, and that’s something I’m immensely proud of!

What would you tell others interested in pursuing a career in CSR or social impact? 

There are many different definitions of “CSR” and “social impact”—depending on the person or company you talk to, it might mean grant making, employee volunteering and giving, product donations, ESG, or something else entirely. Before getting your heart set on a CSR / SI role or title, take the time to do your research and really think through which type of corporate responsibility most excites and inspires you, as well as which type of work best suits your skills and capabilities. Also keep in mind that there are very few CSR/SI-specific jobs, but many jobs that can have a positive social or environmental impact through a business lens—by focusing on companies that are values-driven to begin with (e.g. BCorps, Public Benefit Corporations, social enterprises), you can open up a whole new array of jobs that might better suit your skills and work style, while still enabling you to do work every day that you’re passionate about.

Discover the Next Era of Social Impact

To discuss your own social impact initiatives in The Impact Report, reach out to our Managing Editor, Vanessa Poulson at vanessa@paragonone.com

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