Our History

About Center for Mentoring Excellence

The Center for Mentoring Excellence (CME) has established a rich and varied framework of resources, tools and best practices to develop mentoring excellence and create inclusive work environments that allow every individual to succeed.

We offer a unique blend of coaching, consulting, speaking, mentoring resources and training and facilitation to help organizations deliver more effective mentoring outcomes and better business results.

Together we can help create a sense of belonging and open up possibilities for individuals and organizations to achieve better business results and more inclusive work environments through mentoring excellence. Direct engagement experience throughout the world has helped CME develop a unique ability to apply adult learning theory to practical business settings, enhancing individual development and organizational results.

CEO Lisa Z. Fain continues CME’s founding principle of joining academic theory and practical application to elevate the standard of mentoring practice. Her passion for creating inclusive work environments, and her expertise in coaching and cultural competency honor her mother, Dr. Lois J. Zachary’s vision in founding CME in 2005.

It is only by bridging differences that we can build a better world. And, that’s what we’re all about. Better mentoring. More inclusion. Better world.

Our Team

Lisa Fain

CEO

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Lori Crever

Director of Strategic Partnerships

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Venus Rekow

Facilitator and Coach

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Coonoor Behal

Facilitator and Coach

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Michelle Hancock

Director of Operations

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Josh Bowen

Facilitator

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Denise Harris

Facilitator and Coach

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Chevy Cook

Facilitator

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Angela McGuire

Director of Innovation

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Our Clients

Aetna
Aflac
Allbirds
Allstate Insurance
ARI, Automotive Resources International
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
AT&T
Barilla
Bechtel Corporation
Boeing
BOK Financial
Brown-Forman Corporation
Cemex
Charles Schwab
Cisco Systems
ConEdison
Critical Mass
Cummins
DesCor
DTE Energy
Edward Jones
Globant
Honeybee Robotics
IBM Corporation
IKEA
Intel
International Financial Corporation (IFC)
JLL
Lenox
Lilly USA

Lockheed Martin
Management Insight Technologies
Medtronic
MetroPower
Microsoft
Motorola
Mutual Force
Nordstrom
Nortel Networks
NovoEd
OneAmerica Financial
Outerwall
Pinnacle West Capital Corporation
Prositions
ResMed
Salt River Project
Seattle Seahawks/First & Goal
Securitas
Stout Investment Bank
Synopsys, Inc.
The Guardian
The Tech Group
US WEST Communications
Vulcan
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
World Bank Group
X, The Moonshot Factory
Zillow Group

Albright Knox Art Gallery
Alliance for Children and Families
Alliance of Technology and Women
American Association of Adult and Continuing Educators
American Association of Museums
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
American Red Cross
Arizona Small Business Association
Arizona State Bar Association
Arizona Women’s Leadership Forum
Association of Fundraising Professionals
ASTD
ASU Forum on Non Profit Effectiveness
Central New York Staff Development Consortium
Chicago Bar Association – Alliance for Women
Council of Jewish Federations
Covenant Foundation
Cure Violence
First Church of Christ, Scientist
Forte Foundation
Fresh Start Women’s Foundation
Future Forward
Goldie Initiative
Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
Healthcare Business Women’s Association
Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp)
Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion (ISDI)
International Coaching Federation
International Confederacy of Midwives

International Leadership Association
International Mentoring Association
Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas
Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Jewish Federation of North America
Joint Women’s Leadership Symposium (JWLS)
Joshua Venture
Make a Wish Foundation
Million Dollar Round Table
National Center for Women & Technology (NCWIT)
National Judicial Institute
Nonprofit Management Institute
Social Venture Partners
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Special Olympics
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP)
Tri-State Professional Development Program
TVB Next Women
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United Nations, UN Women
United Way
Washington Bankers Association
Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO)

Arizona State University – W.P. Carey School of Business
Boston College
Bradley University
California State University – Dominguez Hills
Clemson University
Columbia University, Teachers College
Cuyahoga Community College
Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD)
Gateway Community College
Holy Cross
Indiana University
Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires (INSEAD)
Ivy Tech Community College
Jewish Theological Seminary
Mansfield University
Maricopa Community College District
Mount Royal University
National University Research Institute

National-Louis University
Northwestern Law
Nova Southeastern University
Phoenix College
Prescott College
School of Business and Entrepreneurship – Nova University
South Mountain Community College
Syracuse University Young Innovator’s Project
Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management
Truman State University
Union Institute & University
Union Theological Seminary
University of Alabama
University of Buffalo School of Law
University of Colorado, Denver
University of Illinois
University of Florida
University of Louisville
University of New Mexico
University of Phoenix
University of Washington – Foster School of Business

Arizona Commission on Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Arizona Government University
Bureau of Land Management
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Central Arizona Project
City of Mesa
City of Phoenix
Defense Intelligence Agency
Department of Defense
Department of Labor – Women’s Bureau
DOD/National Security Agency
Federal Government Mentoring Roundtable

General Services Administration (GSA)
National Cryptologic School
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Naval Surface Warfare Center
NAVSEA (US Navy)
Nonproliferation and Arms Control (NPAC)
Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Office
Social Security Administration
South Dakota Board of Education
State of Arizona
State of Texas
TSIC, Take Stock in Children
United States Postal Service
Utah State Board of Education
Workforce Solutions Cameron

Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Arizona Asthma and Allergy Institute
Arizona Chapter, America Academy of Pediatrics
Arizona Kidney Disease & Hypertension Center
Arizona Physical Therapy Association
Banner Health
Cambia Health
Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists
Children’s Hospital of Central California
Desert Center for Allergy & Chest Diseases
Loyola University Medical Center
Mayo Clinic
MD Anderson

Myriad Genetic Laboratories
National Association of Medical Staff Services
North Scottsdale Pediatric Associates
Novo Nordisk (NNCI)
Paradise Valley Hospital
Scottsdale HealthCare System
Scottsdale Weight Loss Center
Sister of St. Mary’s Healthcare
The Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego
University of Colorado Medical School
University of Toronto – Department of Family and Community Medicine
Washington State Hospital Association
West Valley Medical Center
Women in Healthcare
Yuma Regional Medical Center

American Council on Education
Best Practices Institute
British Columbia Teachers’ Federation
Central New York Coalition for Adult & Continuing Education
Chicago Public Schools
Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
Department of Education, State of South Dakota
First Church of Christ, Scientist
Institute on Teaching and Mentoring
Jewish Changemakers
Lighthouse for the Blind
Lookstein Center
National Geographic Society
National Institute for Leadership Development
New York City Department of Education

OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc
Ontario Principals’ Council
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Peel District School Board
Teacher Mentorship BC
The J. Paul Getty Foundation
Toronto District School Board
Union Theological Seminary
United Nations Women
Utah Board of Education
Whidbey Institute
Wiley Learning Institute
Windmill Microlending
Workplace Learning Institute

Aprisa
Best & Co. Professional Imaging Consultants
FBS Data Systems
Jaburg & Wilk
Larry Cobin and Associates
Lavidge & Baymayr Advertising
Lease Crutcher Lewis

M2M Partners
Pankow
Partner Works
Quma Learning
Sigma Contracting
Vistage

How We Can Help

Empower effective mentoring relationships with Starting Strong, our elite online training program for corporate teams. Learn More >

Bring mentoring topics to your organization with keynote presentations designed for corporate groups of all sizes. Learn More >

Contact us to explore our custom coaching and consulting services.