Liz Hamburg

Liz is CEO/President of the Taproot Foundation. She is passionate about making an impact in the world. Liz has over 20 years of experience starting up and growing innovative businesses both in the U.S. and international markets.
She is the founder of Upstart Ventures, where she was involved in the start up and growth of over 15 new businesses, including ApplyWise, an education technology company providing high school students with college planning tools. Liz was a member of the founding management team and director of the board of Vimpel Communications, one of the leading cellular operators in Russia and the first Russian company listed on the NYSE.
Liz was Chair of the New York board of the Women's Initiative for Self Employment and is a founding member of the advisory boards of the Brown University Entrepreneurs Program and the entrepreneur board of Venture for America and has served on the New York Advisory Board of Astia.
For ten years, Liz was co-host with her mother Joan Hamburg of Launchpad and NY Uncovered on WOR Radio.

Liz received an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a B.A. from Brown University. In 2010, she attended the Executive Education program in Social Entrepreneurship at Stanford Business School.
She is the 2011 winner of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business for best mentor/coach.
Liz has traveled extensively to over 35 countries and speaks Italian and Japanese with conversational knowledge of Spanish and Russian.