Acropetal* strategic communications for science and technology brings two decades of experience working with researchers, startups, and nonprofits to develop communications strategies that help them achieve their goals.

*Many plants and fungi develop acropetally, with development proceeding upward from their base. If you look at such a leaf for instance, rather than a uniform snapshot of development, as you may see in animal embryos, you'll see instead a gradient of development along its length, telling a rich story at once of its history, as well as its nascent future. A simple snapshot can not do justice to an organization either, because it too has a rich story.

Lisa Girard is the Founder and Principal at Acropetal Strategic Communications for Science and Technology, working with researchers, startups, and organizations to help tell their story and articulate their impact through content, pitch, and strategy development. Prior to starting her consulting practice in 2025, she had been the Director of Strategic Communications at Whitehead Institute since 2017. A former bench scientist, Girard has nearly two decades of science communications leadership and content-development experience including previous roles at California Institute of Technology (CalTech), the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI), and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard as their Director of Scientific Communication. Earlier in her career, she was HSCI’s Associate Director of Strategic Alliances, as well as creator and editor of HSCI’s StemBook and CalTech’s WormBook. She earned her undergraduate degree from University of California, San Diego, a PhD from University of California, Berkeley, and completed postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology. In addition to her consulting work, Girard has been an active member of the Kendall Square Association Board of Directors since 2020 and enjoys mentoring founders and scientists. She lives in the Greater Boston area with her family, including their dog, Stanley.