Biography

Liana F. Ris is an experienced program and operations leader and strategist with over two decades of experience in the non-profit sector and technology. She specializes in translating complex data and research into actionable products, project deliverables, and impact.

Liana possesses deep expertise in program evaluation, education technology, youth mental health, and policy, leveraging a unique blend of strategic, analytical, and management skills. Her policy research and evaluation background began at Abt Associates, Inc. where she evaluated program effectiveness for federal and foundation-funded initiatives, including several foundation-funded workforce development programs based in Boston, MA. This early experience informs her current work at the Larson Institute, where she manages grant-funded projects, coordinates reporting, and drives strategic alignment across the team and the School of Public Health.

In addition, Liana has a strong track record of strategic and operational leadership. She served for six years as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for Gateway Mountain Center, a non-profit providing nature-based therapy and wellness programming to at-risk youth, and as Managing Director of Services & Strategy at Mutations, Limited, where she developed strategic frameworks that contributed to a 100% increase in revenue in two years.  Through her consultancy she has advised non-profits on data-driven strategy, evaluation frameworks, and policy-aligned program design.

Expertise

• Project Management
• Strategic Planning
• Qualitative Analysis
• Written Communication
• Stakeholder Management