Executive Director, Publisher & Digital Media Visionary
Lela C. Thompson is Executive Director of Lifestyle Elevation Media Foundation (LEMF) and publisher of five online magazines launched between 2009 and 2021. A creative strategist, publisher, communications professional, and social-impact leader, her career has been built around creating opportunities for independent creatives, publishers, publicists, entrepreneurs, businesses, and storytellers working locally, nationally, and internationally.
In June 2026, Lela completed the BizFed Advocacy Academy, receiving a Certificate of Completion recognizing her participation and commitment to civic leadership, business advocacy, and economic resilience, with an expanded understanding of how influence, power, policy, and business advocacy can help strengthen economic impact and opportunity.
Building Independent Media & Creative Opportunity
Since 2009, Lela and her teams have elevated thousands of voices through editorial coverage, photography, interviews, feature stories, digital publishing, public relations, brand marketing, events, and social-impact storytelling.
A digital media maven and advocate, she believes independent publishers are essential to workforce development, community storytelling, economic opportunity, cultural documentation, and the future of media.
From Fashion & Creativity to Business Leadership
A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), Lela began with a strong creative foundation that continues to influence her approach to communications, branding, media, and business.
Known as a visionary and out-of-the-box thinker, she has developed unconventional campaigns, strategic partnerships, media activations, brand concepts, events, and community-impact initiatives designed to connect creativity with measurable business objectives.
Her professional experience includes working with Super Bowl and NFL players, NBA players, hotels, corporations, entertainment professionals, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and a broad range of nonprofit organizations. Throughout her career, she has worked with and managed initiatives involving more than 40 nonprofit organizations, bringing together communications, public relations, partnerships, events, community engagement, and social impact.
Leadership, Advocacy & Procurement
Lela’s work has increasingly expanded into business procurement, workforce development, economic opportunity, and advocacy for independent publishers. She works to help create pathways for publishers and creative businesses to pursue advertising dollars, corporate partnerships, grants, RFPs, contracts, procurement opportunities, and workforce-development investment.
Her leadership includes:
- Executive leadership of Lifestyle Elevation Media Foundation and its social-enterprise initiatives.
- Publishing five digital magazines covering lifestyle, business, entertainment, technology, culture, wellness, and social impact.
- Advocating for independent publishers seeking equitable access to advertising, grants, RFPs, procurement, and contracts.
- Supporting workforce development for writers, journalists, photographers, videographers, editors, producers, publicists, and digital creators.
- Working across sports, including projects involving NFL, Super Bowl, and NBA professionals.
- Managing and supporting 40+ nonprofits through communications, public relations, campaigns, events, and strategic initiatives.
- Creating original campaigns that combine storytelling, branding, partnerships, media, business, and community impact.
- Speaking on panels and participating in conversations surrounding technology, media, fashion, business, entrepreneurship, and community leadership.
- Maintaining multiple business certifications supporting procurement, contracting, supplier diversity, and social-enterprise opportunities.
- Completing the BizFed Advocacy Academy in June 2026, strengthening her knowledge of civic leadership, business advocacy, economic resilience, policy, workforce development, and economic impact.
Storytelling With Purpose
As technology and artificial intelligence transform communications, Lela remains committed to protecting the fundamentals, ethics, creativity, and human perspective behind storytelling.
She believes every voice is an important voice when it is positive, authentic, responsible, and impactful.
Her vision is to connect experience with innovation—bringing seasoned professionals and emerging creatives together while building platforms, partnerships, Media Tech Hubs, training, procurement opportunities, and workforce pathways that ensure independent publishers and creatives are seen, heard, hired, funded, respected, and positioned to thrive.
