Elizabeth (Lisa) Liang
SHE / HER / HERS
Elizabeth (Lisa) Liang is a workshop facilitator and speaker on intersectional fellowship. An expert on intercultural identities, she is known for storytelling and delivering engaging keynotes on intercultural upbringing and intersectionality. She works with corporations, nonprofit organizations, and academic institutions to improve engagement, understanding, and connection—with a dual focus on validating individual life experiences and facilitating broader organizational connection.
Intercultural & intersectional storytelling help to connect us and thus help to heal the world.
Popular Talks
The Transformative Power of Sharing Our Intersectional Stories
This talk clarifies the difference between intersectionality and the intersections of identity, then highlights how telling both kinds of stories can resonate with countless people. I demonstrate how sharing our intersectional stories can connect us to one another and support the creation of more compassionate workplaces and a more just society, which can only help us at a terribly disconnected, contentious time. (An excellent talk for DEI&B and women’s events.)
The Resonance of Intercultural Stories
This talk highlights how intercultural stories validate the experiences of countless people; the film Alien Citizen: An Earth Odyssey is used as an example of the transformative power of intercultural and inclusive storytelling. Takeaways include: a) a better understanding of why truthful and thoughtful self expression is critical for a young person’s healthy development, and b) how schools, businesses, and nonprofits can harness the power of creative self expression to inspire people in their communities and make them feel more connected.
Alien Citizen: An Earth Odyssey – Filmmaker Talkback
Alien Citizen: An Earth Odyssey is the dynamic film of Lisa Liang’s funny and moving one-woman show about growing up in the intersections of identity as a dual citizen of mixed heritage in Central America, North Africa, the Middle East, and New England. After the screening, Lisa’s lively and engaging talkback helps participants learn more about Cross-Cultural Kid (CCK) issues and at the same time learn about the processes of filmmaking, theatremaking, and intercultural storytelling in general.
Workshops
Lisa’s most popular talks are listed under the Topics tab.
Lisa’s workshops help people tell their own unique stories in a respectful, kind, boundaried setting—which consistently leads to greater connection, empathy, and even catharsis among participants. In the workplace, helping people to share their staff stories can foster compassionate workplaces and raise morale, which positively influences the workplace culture.
“I absolutely loved the talk – I think it really resonated with so many people that their stories are worth telling and being heard. There was humor, but a lot of truth and complex topics. It was very genuine.”
-Elizabeth V.O., Peapod Digital Labs
“It was profound for all of us…brings laughter and tears to anyone who has lived this life or knows others who have.”
-Ruth Van Reken, author of Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds
Elizabeth (Lisa) Liang is a speaker and facilitator on intercultural upbringing, intersectionality, autobiographical storytelling, and the intersections of identity. While many leaders delve into issues of gender or race or language or culture or class or nationality or a migrant upbringing, Lisa is the only speaker who highlights the intersections of them all at the same time, thanks to her life experience.
Lisa is an expert on: intercultural identities such as “mixed race,” “multi-ethnic,” “Third Culture Kids,” and their intersections; the transformative power of creativity and autobiographical storytelling; and building an empathetic culture. Lisa presents and keynotes at international conferences, leads workshops around the world, and provides on-site presentations and workshops.
She is also an award-winning actor, published author, podcast host, and producer of stage and screen.
Alien Citizen: An Earth Odyssey, the autobiographical solo show she wrote, produced, and performed, toured four continents in theaters, conferences, festivals, the US college circuit, international schools, and the US Embassy (Panama). It is now an award-winning film being used as a resource in universities and international schools around the world.
Lisa was twice named one of the “5 Best Leading Actresses in L.A. Theatre.” Some of her television credits include “NCIS,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and a recurring role on “The West Wing.” She acts in both English- and Spanish-language films. Her essays have been published in an anthology and academic journals. She co-hosted the longest running podcast on the mixed-race experience: Hapa Happy Hour. Lisa was raised in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Morocco, Egypt, and Connecticut as a Guatemalan-American business brat of Chinese-Spanish-Irish-French-German-English descent. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University in English Literature.
Let’s collaborate to ensure a transformative experience.