So Ambitious 308: Love Is the Investment Thesis: Lessons From 8-Figure Investment Decisions | Liz Thompson
Liz Thompson is an investor, philanthropist, and CEO of the Café Group, whose story embodies ambition, faith, and love in action. From her beginnings in Chicago’s Cabrini Green to co-founding Cleveland Avenue with her husband, former McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson, Liz has built a legacy around pouring into people and proving that love is a strategy for leadership, not a sentiment.
In this inspiring episode of So Ambitious, Liz opens up about what it means to take leaps of faith, navigate “no’s” as data points, and use abundance as a guiding force. She shares lessons on mentorship, marriage, and building both billion-dollar businesses and impact-driven communities, rooted in faith, excellence, and purpose.
“No is a data point. It’s information that makes you stronger for the next yes.” – Liz Thompson
Through personal stories of resilience, risk-taking, and radical love, Tune in as Liz reminds us that the real work of leadership isn’t about titles… it’s about sending the elevator back down and bringing others up with you.
KEY POINTS
- Growing up in Cabrini Green and learning the value of love, resilience, and self-worth
- Starting college at 16 and tackling the challenges of being “the only one” in the room
- Lessons from corporate life at Ameritech: excellence, humility, and constructive feedback
- Taking the leap from corporate to purpose - founding City Year Chicago
- The story behind Cleveland Avenue and The Café Group: building wealth and impact
- Love as leadership: why “I am the elevator” became Liz’s life mantra
- The power of mentorship, faith, and being in relationship with your community
- Turning rejection into growth: “No is a data point.”
- Redefining abundance and what it means to lead, give, and build with love
- The urgency of investing in education and betting on overlooked genius in our communities
QUOTES
“Genius is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We invest in the people closest to the answers.” – Liz Thompson
“Love is a strategy. Nothing of any importance will happen without it.” – Liz Thompson
“Abundance has always existed—it’s our limitations that stop us from touching it.” – Felecia Hatcher
RESOURCES
Liz Thompson
Website | www.thecafe.org/
IG | @feleciahatcher
IG | @blackambitionprize
So Ambitious is produced by EPYC Media