The Bio

According to Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, Christina (Chris) Lam is a Maven. Information dissemination is her game. Paying it forward is not just a movie; it’s the right thing to do. (And you should be doing it, too.)

Chris is a MBA and MA graduate from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University (CGU). She was the first dual degree student to achieve an MBA in marketing and strategy and an MA in Women’s Studies. During her tenure, Chris was an active leader and participant in the academic community, leading a chapter of Net Impact and founding a new student association.

Chris founded the Drucker Women in Leadership Association (WILA) in 2007, an official chapter of the National Association of Women MBAs (NAWMBA), which provided a forum and space for students to discuss issues women face in leadership roles. The group hosted its first “Women And Leadership” conference in Spring 2008 to a sold-out attendance. Guest speakers covered topics such as nonprofit management, small business ownership, sustainability, and work-life balance. WILA continues to thrive as an inclusive association with a diverse student membership; members are not solely business students.

Prior to heading off to grad school, Chris served as a donor development professional to nonprofit organizations such as the Women’s Foundation of California (WFCA) and Planned Parenthood Los Angeles (PPLA). She has managed portfolios of 250+ donors and increased revenue by 10% in annual giving campaigns, as well as led volunteer committees to raise funds and plan cultivation events. She participated in grant-funding cycles with a local donor circle that funded local financial literacy programs for women and girls. Chris also created webpages to be Bobby-Approved, monitored message boards, and conducted research on organizations, leads, prospects, and issues. She has over 100 hours of professional development coursework ranging from fundraising basics and branding to building webpages and leadership development.

Chris holds a BA in Psychology from CSU Los Angeles. Delving deeper, she paid for her college tuition by working as a ride operator at Disneyland Resort. (There could be so many anthropological, sociological, psychological, and physical studies done on cast members!)

Chris currently serves as blog editor and board member of Social Media Club Los Angeles (SMCLA). She also volunteers at Women At Work, a nonprofit career resource center located in Pasadena, CA, teaching a Social Media 101 course. She is working on a new course on Facebook for Seniors.

You can find Chris:

• reading
• running
• blogging
• tweeting
• streaming Doctor Who and BSG
• correcting people on how to spell ‘wookiee’
• and sharing

Contact Chris at chris<at>chrisylam<dot>com.