As CEO of The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group (The CAFE Group), Liz Thompson is deeply engaged in the social innovation and philanthropic communities. The CAFE Group provides financial and programmatic support to Leaders of Color whose proximity to current and historic challenges in education allows them to influence philanthropic decisions and create meaningful and relevant solutions. By leveraging lived experiences and the genius within our communities, The CAFE Group creates a glidepath from College Intern to Established Leader designed to catalyze lasting systemic change.
Liz began working with nonprofits in 1993 as founding Executive Director of City Year Chicago, a national service organization that was the template for the AmeriCorps Program. In 1995, Liz served as Executive Director of Family Star Montessori School in Denver, where she led a multi-million dollar expansion of their Early Head Start program. Before following her passion in the nonprofit sector, Liz had a successful ten-year career with Ameritech Corporation after receiving an Electrical Engineering degree from Purdue University.
Liz and her husband, Don Thompson, are co-founders of Cleveland Avenue, LLC, an investment firm providing financial resources, expertise, and support to entrepreneurs to grow and scale their businesses. Their work has been recognized by World Business Chicago, Loyola University Chicago’s Baumhart Center, and the Chicago History Museum.
Liz is currently a Director of Lamar Advertising Corporation and Chicago Public Media/WBEZ. She is a National Director for Braven and Chairman of Braven’s Chicago Board. She also serves on the board of the Partnership for College Completion and as Special Advisor to OneGoal.
Liz is an alumnus of Leadership Greater Chicago and a past Trustee of the University of Chicago, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Liz received an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, where she was commencement speaker for the graduating class of 2023. She has been recognized by The Chicago Urban League, Chicago State University, IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Crain’s Chicago Business, and the Aspen Institute’s Pahara Fellowship. She has appeared as a keynote speaker for Grantmakers for Education, The Walton Family Foundation, and the Chicago Venture Summit.
Liz and Don have been married for 30 years, have two adult children, and live in the southwest area of metropolitan Chicago.