2025 Most Influential Women: Lori Robertson

Lori Robertson thought she was on the right career track when she realized she was actually in the wrong lane.

Armed with a degree in biology and training in medical technology, Robertson started in health care before she realized she needed to pivot.

“I went back to school and earned my MBA from Missouri State University, which opened the door to a new direction and became the foundation for everything that followed,” says Robertson, founder of Lori Robertson Consulting LLC and SpeakHer Coach. “That decision taught me that great leadership begins with the willingness to make bold moves aligned with your purpose and follow through, especially when it’s not easy.”

She began honing her leadership skills during a decade producing for Women of Faith, a nationwide live event tour that filled stadium arenas across the U.S. and Canada – up to 30 events a year with average attendance of more than 14,000 people.

“At a relatively young age, I led some of the tour’s highest-stakes and most complex teams, booking and managing relationships with speakers, musical artists, agents and managers, while also leading two of the most diverse teams on the tour – production and merch,” Robertson says. “I had to learn quickly how to lead with clarity, communicate across a range of personalities, and unify diverse stakeholders around a common vision and tight timelines. Those years gave me a strong, tested foundation in leadership under pressure.”

She now manages several roles. At Compassion International Inc., a Christian organization that seeks to free children from poverty, Robertson manages relationships with digital influencers who partner with the organization. Over the past two years, those partnerships have led to more than 3,000 children being sponsored with food, education, medical care and spiritual development. Last year through Compassion, Robertson was part of a group that trekked to Mount Kilimanjaro as part of a fundraiser that yielded more than $100,000 for clean water.

She also runs Lori Robertson Consulting LLC, which she founded in 2012, and she’s spent the past six years building and leading SpeakHer Coach, through which she helps leaders, especially professional women, become more compelling, confident communicators.

“From the very beginning of my career, I’ve been passionate about creating opportunities for others to grow, rise and lead,” Robertson says. “Through keynotes, workshops and coaching programs, I’ve helped nearly 250 women step into visibility, find their voice and speak with the kind of clarity that fuels businesses, brands and change. My work equips others to lead out loud and make a great impact in their businesses and communities.”