Alisha Ring Lagarde was inspired to found Launch after informally coaching and mentoring many young women to successfully launch their careers.  As someone who, in her early 20’s, was fortunate to benefit from advice and mentorship from experienced professionals, Alisha is passionate about giving other young women the help that she was afforded early in her career.  Alisha has long believed that her career success was due in large part to the coaching she received from business leaders in Austin. Through Launch, she will offer “launching pad” for young women who strive to become successful business women.

After graduating from the University of Texas, Alisha moved to New York to pursue a career in advertising. She loved the city and all the opportunities that it afforded but was drawn to return to Austin to take a chance on a job opportunity that would have challenged professionals with twice her experience: to turn around a non-profit organization that was losing money and needed to be re-energized.

At the tender age of twenty-four, Alisha took the helm of the Austin Technology Council, where she was the visionary and chief architect for setting a new direction for the organization. For the first time, she reported to a high profile Board of Directors comprised of C-suite executives from some of Austin’s most successful technology companies.  Within a few years Alisha, with the support and help of her team and Board of Directors, had turned the organization around to become robust, profitable, and a thought leader in the technology community in Central Texas.

Alisha was recognized for her success in rebooting ATC and making it central to Austin’s ever increasing role as a technology epicenter for the world. She was responsible for ATC’s overall growth and branding strategy as well as management of day-to-day operations for the organization. Alisha grew ATC from less than 100 members to more than 400 members, and from fewer than 30 annual events to more than 100. Under Alisha’s leadership, ATC solidified its position in infrastructure and support for Austin’s technology sector.

After leading ATC for five years Alisha decided to pursue other challenges and to focus on her personal life.

Since 2009 Alisha has gotten married, given birth to two beautiful sons, served as the first General Manager of the Texas Tribune (where her fundraising strategies led to raising $3.6 million in 4 months to launch the new publication) and has contributed to the start up of several companies/non-profits.

Alisha’s professional success has led to numerous accolades and award nominations. Alisha has received awards including a spot on Austin’s Fortunate 500 List (2007-2008) and was a finalist for Austin Under 40 in 2007 & 2008. From 2006-2009 she served as the Vice Chairperson for InnoTech, Central Texas’ premier IT conference. She was also selected to participate in the Leadership Austin’s Essential Class in 2007.

For the past three years, since the birth of her first son, Alisha has been a domestic engineer tackling the challenges that come along with raising two little boys.  This includes creating magical adventures, playing with trains, cleaning scraped knees and handling all of the scheduling, finances, and logistics for a family of four.  Her husband Jamie is an avid Saints fan and successful entrepreneur who has founded three companies in the last year alone.

Now that her sons are in school and have regular schedules Alisha is thrilled to bring Launch to life so that she be a resource and coach to young women who are starting their careers. Alisha’s motto is “Pay it Forward”. With Launch, that is exactly what she is doing; paying forward all the kindness from which she benefited early in her career.

Specialties:  Alisha is involved in the Austin Community and has served as a member of several boards. She was on the board for the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Girlstart, and as an adviser for The Austin Planetarium. She has also served as a board member of the Austin Technology Council, the AusTech Chamber, the steering committee for the Austin Wireless Alliance and Long Center Corporate Council. Alisha was also a member of Texchange’s Advisory Board.