Lisa Nkonoki is the quintessential idea innovator, transformational dealmaker and “The Purveyor of Possibility.” A coveted entertainment and marketing visionary, strategist, manager, coach and trailblazer, Lisa is an award-winning entrepreneur whose elite clientele include corporate titans, Fortune 500 powerhouses, financiers, and celebrities from sports, music, television and the arts. As founder of Nkonoki Entertainment Group and Live Your Dreams Life Coaching & Family Advocacy, Lisa brings a think-outside-the-box, responsive, and solutions-oriented style to her clients.
On a mission from a young age, Lisa met and later worked for entertainment legend Norman Lear, who remains her mentor and friend. She founded the Little Miss Central Connecticut and Little Miss Fairfield County pageants for young girls of color; a television show, Celebrity Home Ties; served as the Inaugural Celebrity Columnist for Hartford Magazine; and Volunteer Celebrity Chair for the 1995 Special Olympic World Games. Through her work with Hartford Public Schools, Lisa elevated the school volunteer program, gaining recognition from President George H.W. Bush’s 1,000 Points of Light.
As a publicist for Ray Charles, Jr, she positioned him for the next phase of his career, serving as the catalyst for his NAACP Image Award-winning book, You Don’t Know Me, Reflections of My Father, Ray Charles and garnering participation from The White House for The Obamas Present a PBS Tribute to Ray Charles. Lisa’s latest feat is managing the 152nd St. Black Ballet Legacy. With Lisa’s vision, the five trailblazing ballerinas, founding members of the Dance Theater of Harlem, have made media appearances and attained a major book deal.
Lisa has served on various Boards and advisory organizations. She is active with the Boys and Girls Club of New Britain, Connecticut and The Small Things.The Connecticut State NAACP named Lisa one of the “100 Most Influential African Americans in the State of Connecticut'' and a member of the Inaugural Class of “100 Women of Color.”
Lisa is a mother, bonus mother, wife and involved GG (Gorgeous Grandmother) to 16.