Dr. Lesley Robinson is the Founder and CEO of Embolden Consulting, dedicated to empowering founders and educators to find the best path to their own destination. She is the Co-Founder & Director of Education at ayana, a 501(c)(3) foundation that uplifts women founders worldwide by providing them with education, community, and enhanced access to funding.
As the Founding Director of the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute at The University of Texas at Austin, she dispersed $115,000+ in seed grants, supported 66+ startups, and amplified 95+ FoundHERs. Under her leadership, KS WELI was recognized as the 2023 Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center by the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC).
Lesley lectures on entrepreneurial leadership and social entrepreneurship. Her EntreLeaderHER course guides students in discovering their values and authentic leadership through a gender-smart lens. The course was taught as part of the newly launched Women in Entrepreneurship specialization in the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin. It was a 2024 USABE Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Finalist.
Recognized in 2023 as a United Nations Global Purpose Award Winner at World Logic Day, Lesley is a global citizen visiting 35+ countries. She is a U.S. State Department Professional Fellow and serves on the U.S. Global Leadership Consortium Texas State Advisory Committee.
Lesley holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Colorado State University. Her research focuses on gender and entrepreneurship education. She holds an M.S. degree from Drexel University in Global and International Education and a B.A. from The University of Tulsa in Public Relations and French.
Lesley serves on the Advisory Boards for SXSW Pitch and Blue Sky Partners. She is a member of the Young Women’s Alliance and CHIEF. She is a 2024 Austin Woman Magazine inaugural Change Maker, 2024 Young Women’s Alliance Educator of the Year, 2023 Austin Business Journal Women in Business Finalist, and 2023 Austin Under 40 Finalist. She is recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Higher Education, Educational Leadership, and Entrepreneurship.
She is the proud mother of a wild-cat-loving 7-year-old girl.