Lisa is a strong fixture in her community.  Holding such positions as Vice Chair of Membership for Diversity Newark, formerly a New Jersey based organization that helped to bring diverse groups of people together in Newark and the surrounding cities. Since 1994, she has mentored inner city youth.

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT!!

As a little girl, Lisa learned quickly that the only way to achieve and succeed is to work hard! So at the tender age of 8, Lisa began promoting her hair braiding business by word of mouth and quickly became the favorite go to person for parents, little girls, grown men and women, for the best braid jobs in the neighborhood!! Little did she know, those entrepreneurial skills would follow her throughout her life and into her own self-titled business, Lisa Durden Unlimited, a Multi-Media Production Company, headquartered in the State of New Jersey, that specializes in creating award winning content, across various platforms, for television, the web and live audiences. 

TALK SHOW HOST!!

Lisa is the host and Executive Producing of her popular self-titled talk show, The Lisa Durden Show, which airs in over 1 million homes on Newark Cablevision, channel 19, @ 6pm, Tuesdays; Manhattan Neighborhood Networks, channel 56, @ 5:30pm Wednesdays; online @ http://www.thelisadurdenshow.com/">www.TheLisaDurdenShow.com, 

www.YouTube.com/user/lisadurden, and 5:30pm, every Wednesday, by logging onto www.mnn.org, and selecting channel 2, Lifestyle Channel.

POP CULTURE COMMENTATOR!!

Lisa is a sought after Pop-Culture/Political Commentator booked to share her “keep it real,” “straight no chaser” view, on all things hot topics!! Appearing on Fox 5 News Live at 6pm with Ernie Enastos and as a Regular Expert Guest on nationally syndicated network radio and shows like FOX 5’s “The Morning Show w/ Mike & Juliet,” FoxNews.com’s “The Strategy Room,” Comcast’s “It’s Your Call: With Lynn Doyle,” My9 News and 98.7 Kiss FM’s the “Michael Baisden Show,” to name a few.

Lisa Is An Expert On:

* Pop Culture             * Celebrities                * Hot Topics               * Fashion

* Politics                     * Television/Film         * Social Issues             * The Youth

* Relationships           * Education                 * Women’s Issues      * Panels

* Social Media            * Communications      * Race                        * Entrepreneurship

CONTENT CREATOR!!

Lisa Durden is an award winning, content creator/producer, in non-fiction television and film. In 2014, she was contracted with the National Black Programing Consortium as the Broadcast Manager. 

Lisa Associate Produced the award winning feature documentary, Soul Food Junkies (Director: Byron Hurt), which broadcast nationally on PBS’ Independent Lens series. She also Associate Produced the critically acclaimed, 5 part docu-series, Brick City 1 (Director: Mark Levin & Executive Producer: Forest Whitaker), which broadcast on The Sundance Channel.

Lisa’s Directorial debut of her controversial, award winning documentary, PROJECT WOW: Men On The Down Low, won Best Documentary Award at the Pocono Mountains Film Festival, The Best Topic Award at the Urban Film Series, which also broadcast in short form on the BET J series, Black Stories and is currently being distributed in feature length by Echelon Studios Inc.

Lisa was selected as a semi-finalist in the 2012 New York Television Festival for A&E’s Unscripted Pipeline Competition, for her cooking competition show in development, The Ultimate Soul Food Cook Off. She also won 2nd Place in a Pitch Competition at the Hollywood Black Film Festival for her docu-soap concept, Trimming The Fat.  Ms. Durden is presently developing webseries and unscripted content for television, including her feature documentary, Running To Win, a universal story about how a female track coach, who battles the inequities that still exist for young women in track & field, in order to give her girls the opportunity to win, on and off the track.

CELEBRITY BLOGGER/CONTRIBUTOR!!
For nearly 10 years, Lisa’s opinionated, sarcastic, humorous style of commentary, has made her one of the go to bloggers and newspaper/magazine contributors, for all things Celebrity News, Entertainment, Pop Culture, Politics, TV/film, Fashion, Relationships, Social Issues, Women’s Issues, Sex, Education, Social Media, Parenting and Health.

* In 2014, Lisa launched her self-titled blog: www.LisaDurdenMyWorldMyWay.com.   When you enter her world, she tells it her way!!

Contributor to:

* Ufront Media Insights, https://ufrontmediainsights.wordpress.com

* Local Talk Newspaper,

 http://www.localtalknews.com/newark/community/1867-oprahs-qthe-

 life-you-want-weekendq-day-1.html.

* Newark Star Ledger’s NJ.com, http://connect.nj.com/user/ldurden/posts.html and   their former monthly publication, Newark Live from 2008 – 2014.

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER!!

As a sought after motivational speaker, Lisa Durden is rising to national prominence and recognition because of her over-the-top, passionate, energetic, interactive, very physical and humorous style of delivering a message!! Lisa has learned that the foundation of every issue is fear! So although every speaking engagement is different and the themes change, her goal is always to help others Overcome Their Fears!!  Ms. Durden is also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Essex County College in Newark, NJ 

Areas Of Expertise:

* Keynote Speaking   * Emceeing   * Moderating    * Pop Culture Commentating

* Panel Discussions   * Hosting       * Lecturing        * Workshop Facilitating    

FEATURED EXPERT!!

Lisa was a featured expert in:

* The book, Career Tool Kit:Skills For Success, By Carol Carter. 

* For Real Magazine as the, You Go Girl! 

* The hip political magazine, The Ave as the fresh talent to watch out for.

AWARDS/ACCOLADES!!

* In 2015, We Care Partners Inc. presented her with The Communications Matriarch   Award

*  Fall of 2014, Progressive Achievers honored her with The Leader In Communications  Award

* Spring of 2009, she was honored by Essex County College Women’s Empowerment  Forum, for Outstanding Contributions & Service to the Community.

EDUCATION!!

While at Seton Hall University, her skills in journalism, media and public speaking were sharpened while holding the position as Newscaster and Engineer for the college’s radio station, WSOU Radio 89.5FM. 

Lisa Durden graduated from Seton Hall University with a BA Degree in Communications.

FELLOWSHIPS/PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS!!

* American Federation Of Radio & Television

* CPB/PBS Producers Academy Workshopper, class of 2013

* NATPE Diversity Fellow class of 2009

* Leadership Newark Fellow class of 2003

* Maysles Institute Filmmakers Collective class of 2011

* Member of New York Women In Film and Television.

Currently Lisa Durden is happily single and childfree!!