Lisa Thompson is a purpose-driven Urban Planning and Economic Development Strategist on a mission to support the incubation and growth of minority and immigrant-owned small businesses in historically underserved communities.
Lisa is deeply committed to leveraging entrepreneurship as a vehicle for wealth creation while fostering the long-term growth of the microentrepreneur ecosystem. As the Director and General Manager at Flatbush Central Caribbean Marketplace, Lisa is responsible for stewarding the market into the future by improving vendor sales and profitability. Lisa’s core responsibilities include interacting with vendors daily to interpret their needs and managing market staff and operations. She also various aspects of the new market build and serves as the team’s liaison with diverse community groups and stakeholders to ensure an optimal experience.
Before Urbane, Lisa spent the previous 16 years of her career driving economic renewal and urban investment initiatives for public markets, food halls, and business improvement districts in Philadelphia and New York City. With the NYC Economic Development Corporation, Lisa led the successful redevelopment of New York City’s historic Essex Street Market, going on to manage the Moore Street and La Marqueta public retail markets. At Urbanspace, Lisa served as General Manager for Turnstyle, a 40-store Columbus Circle underground retail concourse, which she successfully converted to a destination food hall. Before moving into market management, Lisa led area improvements to produce an attractive District for investing, living, recreation, and working as Deputy Director for the Bedford Stuyvesant Business Improvement District, facilitating public space and streetscape interventions resulting in $120 million in public investment.
Originally from Jamaica, Lisa earned a BA in Economics from Bard College and a Master of City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University. She is also an alumna of Coro’s inaugural Neighborhood Leadership program. Lisa enjoys traveling – especially during her favorite season – mango season.
