Upon a Turning Stage: Life Lesson of a Mentee, Mentor, and Ally

Charisse Ranielle Lillie is a highly respected attorney, businesswoman, and servant leader with a lifelong commitment to public service and mentorship. A proud graduate of Wesleyan University, Temple University Beasley School of Law, and Yale Law School, she was the first African American woman to hold several leadership roles, including City Solicitor of Philadelphia, partner at Ballard Spahr, senior executive at Comcast Corporation, and chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

Currently serving on several corporate and nonprofit boards, Charisse has been honored widely for her community service, corporate leadership, and mentorship of young and mid-career attorneys and business professionals.

Her early training in music and theater, combined with her love of African American history, shaped her confidence and leadership style. She attributes her success to both hard work and resilience, as well as extraordinary parents and others who mentored her--from her childhood in segregated Houston, Texas, to undergraduate school, to law school, and into the legal, business, and political worlds.

A frequent speaker on diversity and inclusion, corporate governance, and executive compensation, Charisse champions mentorship as a mutual, purposeful relationship that drives meaningful change.