Imagine the possibilities...

Cardinal Opportunities, Inc. provides educational programming, coaching, and training to individuals and other non-profit organizations to promote long-term goals. We identify skills and qualities that individuals and other non-profit organizations already have, and work to develop, hone, and nurture those skills and qualities for real world and workplace success and sustainability.

ABOUT US

THE BEGINNING OF CARDINAL OPPORTUNITIES, INC.

Lisa Condon and Angela Eastman hatched the idea of Cardinal Opportunities several years ago over coffee one afternoon. As the women took inventory of their combined skill sets, they immediately recognized a shared desire to help other people find their paths in life by way of achieving personal and professional goals. Soon they founded Cardinal Opportunities - a non-profit organization reflecting their shared values and beliefs - and the rest is history. The organization's name, Cardinal Opportunities, blends the idea of the four cardinal directions and the cardinal bird known for its joyful songs, bright red colors, and year-round presence.

Cardinal Opportunities truly believes we are all able to take flight and soar in life.

ABOUT CARDINAL OPPORTUNITIES, INC.

Cardinal Opportunities, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization working with clients across the nation providing educational, training, and coaching programs to under-resourced communities in order to promote long-term goals and success. Cardinal Opportunities also offers solutions-based coaching and partnering facilitation to other non-profit organizations in need of leadership training, communication support, and gap analysis. We maintain office locations in Delaware and Colorado.

Cardinal Opportunities engages and supports women, survivors of interpersonal violence (IPV) and sex trafficking, individuals in addiction recovery, first-generation learners, New Americans, veterans, individuals identifying as LGBTQIA+, small businesses owned by people of color, and at-risk young people by encouraging growth of individual capabilities and economic development. Cardinal Opportunities believes that with proper support there is no limit to what people can accomplish or achieve. We also understand that many non-profit organizations are the unsung heroes in supporting and advocating for those whose voices would otherwise go unheard.

What is your need? What are your goals and aspirations?

Let Cardinal Opportunities help you or your non-profit organization get there.

Charitable Contributions: Our team is extremely touched and honored when individuals and organizations inquire about making charitable contributions to Cardinal Opportunities (EIN: 81-3358307). If you are interested in making a charitable contribution to Cardinal Opportunities, please give by clicking here or you may send your contribution to Cardinal Opportunities directly at 1800 North Bayshore Drive, Milton, DE 19968. Upon receipt of contribution, Cardinal Opportunities will immediately provide a charitable donation tax receipt. For in-kind service donations or if you have other charitable contribution questions, please contact Cardinal Opportunities at (802) 846-7343 or info@cardinalopps.org. Charitable contributions or donations are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by law.

Who We Are

Lisa

LISA CONDON

Executive Director

Lisa is a highly accomplished Senior Executive, C-Suite Officer, Entrepreneur, Consultant, and Board Member with 21 years of success across telecom, media, finance, banking, and insurance. Her broad areas of expertise include strategic planning; executive coaching; marketing strategy; business strategy and development; process development; social media and networking; and team building.

In her executive career, Lisa has held leadership positions at CUNA Mutual Group; Red Sapphire Consulting (President/CEO, >6 years); Burlington Telecom; Vermont Federal Credit Union; Homebound Mortgage; and Burlington Free Press. She has served in executive sales, marketing, and customer service roles, with an emphasis in the media, finance, and telecommunications sectors, where she has exercised informed leadership and planning within a multitude of organizations. In a management consultancy role, Lisa rebuilt an onboarding process for a wealth management financial advisory firm, improving it from 120 to 21 days, decreasing ramp-up time and accelerating company revenue generation. As a VP of operations for a federal credit union, Lisa built a full-service call center from the ground up; identified and developed new and existing employee talent; boosted membership growth; established a new training department based on a collegiate style of functional and leadership education; instituted succession planning; and framed and managed organizational development initiatives. She continues in her longstanding and successful consultancy, applying expertise in mergers, takeovers, growth, tech innovation, product development, go to market, competitive analysis, and ideal customer targeting for her corporate, SMB, and nonprofit clients.

Leadership program and in the Leadership Champlain in Burlington, VT; and has attended countless workshops, classes, and schools for leadership, sales, marketing and customer service. She has served on numerous boards and advisory councils, including for Bethany Area Reparatory Theater, United Way of Chittenden County, Cocktails Curing Cancer, Lisa obtained a B.A. in Communications and Theater from Temple University. She is also a graduate of the Excellence in ExecutiveNavicate; VT APT; Community Health Center; BYP of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce; and the VSO.

Angela

ANGELA EASTMAN

Associate Director

On a daily basis, Angela Eastman gently reminds herself, “No matter where you go, there you are.” Angela’s path in life has been ever winding and well traversed – high and low, leaps and bounds – due to her varied interests.

An attorney by trade, Angela attended Vermont Law School for her JD and Pepperdine University School of Law (the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution) for her LLM. She began work for a large health insurer, but quickly realized that it was important to her to offer direct services to clients by way of private practice. Applying her savvy business mind and tenacious ways (while consulting with many of her exceptionally bright and generous friends), Angela established the successful and self-sustaining legal and mediation practice, Eastman Law + Dispute Resolution in South Burlington, Vermont. For several years, Angela assisted victim-survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual violence, as well as family, healthcare, business and estate planning clients. Angela believes in being active in her community by volunteering her time sitting on various non-profit boards, participating in local service events and supporting local causes. She also has participated in several leadership and project management programs.

Representing clients was truly Angela’s pleasure. However, after considerable thought and reflection, Angela decided that work-life balance should be her priority. For more than one decade she had focused on her career, and through a series of personal revelations she realized that she no longer wished for her work or profession to define her. Instead, she wanted to live in the present moment connecting with family and friends, and actively participating in new experiences. As such, she recalibrated emerging as a regulatory compliance consultant within insurance market regulation, which allowed her to relocate to Boulder, Colorado while enjoying a slower pace of life.

Recently, Angela adopted a rescue dog from Dallas, Texas. Pearl Zuzu (also known as “PZ”, “Pearlie Girlie”, “the Zu” or “Pearlz”) is a Schnauzer and Chinese Crested mix. Pearl Zuzu is, without a doubt, the apple of Angela’s eye.

Angela is grateful for all of her life experiences – success, failure, learning curves, observing and participating in new cultures, seeing the beauty of other countries and lands, practicing humility (after being served up a few times), and being enveloped by the love, kindness, compassion and generosity of others. She is beyond excited to collaborate with one of her best friends, Lisa Condon, to conceptualize and hatch Cardinal Opportunities, Inc. – it has been years in the making!

Angela

Jessica

JESSICA ZORN

Secretary, Board of Trustees

Jessica Zorn is an insurance management professional, dabbling entrepreneur, and a lifetime emotional intelligence student striving to use wisdom to apply knowledge attained.

After Jessica transitioned from a decade-long role as a homeschooling mother of four children and her local community’s church youth program director, Jessica had the opportunity to reinvent herself. Jessica’s first stop – re-entering the workforce, which she quickly learned meant spending endless hours justifying her transferable skills.

Jessica has covered significant ground over the past eight years. In January 2010, she identified as being homeless due to the dissolution of her marriage, earning minimum wage, using her special education knowledge and teaching ability to barter for other resources, and, yet, feeling incredibly thankful.

Fast forward by a couple of years. As the Vice President of Health and Wellness International, LLC, Jessica purchased property in Central America. She moved the Company’s vision to a practical level by partnering with Costa Rican for-profit and not-for-profit businesses to invest in local victims of intimate partner violence and sex trafficking by providing victim-survivors with education for employable skills. In a more traditional setting, Jessica has had the opportunity to work in the healthcare, insurance, and legal fields, including but not limited to involvement with multiple Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance initiatives, coordinating healthcare and insurance client management, leading various work-related projects, and executing business transactions via her Vermont property and casualty license.

Observing people whose passion has made them incredibly successful individuals for numerous reasons has fueled Jessica’s tireless curiosity. Jessica is committed to and inspired by hard work not only in the workplace, but also in her personal life. For example, she has determined that visiting the gym daily at 4:00 a.m. proves to be a key element for her time management, and supplying the energy to infuse tenacity to reach (what seem to be) impossible goals.

Directly from Jessica: “I didn’t get here alone. I believe success is found in the village, and I love my village.”

BRANDI GLEASON

Treasurer, Board of Trustees

Brandi Gleason is a passionate credit union professional and advocate serving more than 15 years in the credit union movement. She began her career in credit unions as a young mother looking for a company that would support her ambitions not only a professional, but as a mom. She quickly found that her passion for serving others was ignited working in a movement where the well-being of the members far outweighed the credit union's desire to make a profit. From that point, she hasn't looked back, serving in a myriad of leadership roles within credit unions and partner companies such as CUNA Mutual Group and the Northwest Credit Union Association.

She has always been an avid learner, constantly looking for opportunities to broaden and sharpen her skills. Because of Brandi's passion for education, she shares two of her weeks each and every summer working with and mentoring credit union professionals at Western CUNA Management School. This school is a place where many have attended and through their journey, “found their voice” not only within their career, but in their lives. Brandi finds her greatest joy in helping others uncover ways to accomplish their goals and achieve their dreams. Her favorite quote and daily mantra comes from author Simon Sinek, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

The remainder of Brandi’s year is spent as an Engagement Manager for AdvantEdge Analytics, helping credit unions harness the power of big data to better serve their members. She is also the busy mom of two crazy kids, Karissa and Conner. She would say that parenting is most certainly her hardest and most rewarding “job”, but wouldn’t trade a minute of it!

Brandi also holds a B.A. in Business Management & Operations from Washington State University and is a 2013 High Honors Graduate from Western CUNA Management School.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR CARDINAL OPPORTUNITIES, INC.

While the Cardinal Opportunities, Inc. board of trustees may be small, it is mighty. We have extremely talented, fierce and dynamic individuals who sit on our board:

Lisa Condon, Executive Director
Brandi Gleason, Treasurer
Jessica Zorn, Secretary

STAFF AT CARDINAL OPPORTUNITIES, INC.

Cardinal Opportunities, Inc. is pleased to have the two following staff members carry out its vision and mission:

Lisa Condon, Executive Director
Angela Eastman, Associate Director

WHO WE ARE

Who We Are

Lisa

LISA CONDON

Co-Founder and Executive Director

In her executive career, Lisa has held leadership positions at CUNA Mutual Group; Red Sapphire Consulting (President/CEO, >6 years); Burlington Telecom; Vermont Federal Credit Union; Homebound Mortgage; and Burlington Free Press. She has served in executive sales, marketing, and customer service roles, with an emphasis in the media, finance, and telecommunications sectors, where she has exercised informed leadership and planning within a multitude of organizations. In a management consultancy role, Lisa rebuilt an on-boarding process for a wealth management financial advisory firm, improving it from 120 to 21 days, decreasing ramp-up time and accelerating company revenue generation. As a VP of operations for a federal credit union, Lisa built a full-service call center from the ground up; identified and developed new and existing employee talent; boosted membership growth; established a new training department based on a collegiate style of functional and leadership education; instituted succession planning; and framed and managed organizational development initiatives. She continues in her longstanding and successful consultancy, applying expertise in mergers, takeovers, growth, tech innovation, product development, go to market, competitive analysis, and ideal customer targeting for her corporate, SMB, and nonprofit clients.

Lisa obtained a B.A. in Communications and Theater from Temple University. She is also a graduate of the Excellence in Executive Leadership program and in the Leadership Champlain in Burlington, VT; and has attended countless workshops, classes, and schools for leadership, sales, marketing and customer service. She has served on numerous boards and advisory councils, including for Bethany Area Reparatory Theater, United Way of Chittenden County, Cocktails Curing Cancer, Navicate; VT APT; Community Health Center; BYP of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce; and the VSO.

Jessica

JESSICA ZORN

Board of Directors

Jessica Zorn is an insurance management professional, energized entrepreneur, and student of life who strives to apply knowledge and wisdom gained. She had the opportunity to reenter the workforce - reinventing herself - after a decade-long role as a homeschooling mother of four children and local community church youth program director. Jessica was excited to reenter the workforce, but quickly learned that she would spend endless hours justifying her transferable skills.

Jessica is the first to admit that she has covered significant ground over the past several years. In January 2010, she identified as being homeless due to the dissolution of her marriage. At the time, she was earning minimum wage, and using her special education knowledge and teaching ability to barter for other resources, yet she felt incredibly thankful.

Fast forward by a couple of years. As the vice president of Health and Wellness International, LLC, Jessica purchased commercial business property in Costa Rica and then moved Health and Wellness International's vision and mission to a practical level by partnering with Costa Rican for-profit and non-profit businesses to give back to the local community. Health and Wellness International invested in local survivors of domestic and sexual violence by providing survivors with education for employable skills. For her "day job", Jessica has had the opportunity to work in the healthcare, insurance, and legal fields where she has managed Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance initiatives, coordinated health care delivery, managed insurance clients, and executed business transactions using her property and casualty license.

Jessica's tireless curiosity is fueled by observing and collaborating with people whose passion has made them incredibly successful. Closely related, Jessica is committed to and inspired by hard work not only in the workplace, but also in her personal life. For example, she has determined that visiting the gym daily at 4:00 a.m. proves to be a key element for her time management, and supplying the energy to infuse tenacity to reach near impossible goals.

Jessica firmly believes in being surrounded by good people and lifting one another up. She has stated on more than one occasion that “I didn’t get here alone. I believe success is found in the village, and I love my village.”

Angela

ANGELA EASTMAN

Co-Founder and

Board of Directors

Angela is a fierce advocate with a curious mind who enjoys a good challenge. With over 15 years of legal experience and a boundless entrepreneurial spirit, she is often creating or innovating.

Angela has worked as an attorney and consultant in various settings, including private practice, corporate (in house), nonprofit, government, and education. She especially enjoys her work as an adjunct professor. In any role, she is able to pivot quickly due to her transactional, litigation, policy, and dispute resolution experience.

Angela attended McGill University (BA in Sociology and Anthropology), Vermont Law School (JD), and Pepperdine Caruso School of Law (LLM in Alternative Dispute Resolution). She has participated in several leadership programs such as the Vermont Leadership Institute, Leadership Champlain, and the University of Vermont's Leadership and Management Certificate program. Angela is certified in advanced project management, market conduct management (MCM), and EQ-i 2.0/EQ 360 (emotional intelligence). She has also received the distinguished Fellowship designation from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Angela is an active community member. She volunteers by participating in local service events, serving on non-profit boards, and supporting social justice initiatives. Angela has learned a great deal about intersectionality, inequities creating disparities, and systems of privilege through legal representation of clients, non-profit and community work, and social justice and advocacy efforts.

In her spare time, Angela is usually chasing around her favorite little friend and rescue pup, Pearl. She is also an avid traveler and enjoys taking a barre class every so often.

Angela is grateful for the the kindness, compassion, and generosity that others have shown her in life - she is always looking for ways to pay it forward and back. She is beyond excited to collaborate with Lisa and the wonderful board members at Cardinal Opportunities!

Heather

HEATHER BLACK

Board of Directors

Heather recently attended a high school class reunion (she’s not saying which one) and when she shared with one of her classmates the kind of work she has been doing her entire career, he responded, “That doesn’t surprise me at all – you always were the one who helped people." With a childhood spent eating lunch with the new kid in school to a career dedicated to public service, Heather has always been one of the helpers and is filled with gratitude to now have a career where she can earn an income helping others.

After completing her education in North Carolina, Heather followed her other passion for politics by moving to Washington D.C. She spent seven years working for the non-profit arm of the wireless trade association creating philanthropic programs that utilized wireless technology such as the national "CALL to PROTECT" and "Donate A Phone" programs, which ensured that individuals attempting to leave violent intimate partner relationships could receive a donated wireless phone for use without their abuser's knowledge. As a result, Heather developed a keen interest in supporting the needs of domestic violence survivors and decided to work with Futures Without Violence developing and implementing corporate initiatives furthering the non-profit organization's mission. It was during this work that Heather had the fortune to share an office suite with Angela Eastman that would lead to joining the Cardinal Opportunities Board some 15 years later.

After nearly ten years in the urban D.C. environment, Heather was ready to return to her Southern roots and made the move back to North Carolina, accepting an appointment as Director of Charitable Solicitation Licensing (CSL) for NC Secretary of State, Elaine Marshall. Heather served as an appointee to Secretary Marshall for eight years, leading the CSL Division through many changes towards modernization, including the addition of online filing for applications and fees. Additionally, under Heather’s leadership, the Division increased enforcement efforts against charitable fraud across the State, protecting some of North Carolina’s most vulnerable citizens.

In 2015, Heather joined United Way of North Carolina (UWNC) as the NC 211 State Director. NC 211 is a statewide information and referral system that links callers to health and human services resources in the caller’s community. Heather oversees the work and planning for the statewide 2-1-1 information and referral system and focuses on building partnerships with state and local government agencies, non-profit organizations, healthcare organizations, and others seeking to improve the lives of North Carolina citizens through access to information. During Heather’s tenure, the team at NC 211 has served as a primary communication portal for the State’s responses to Hurricanes Matthew and Florence and now the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, NC 211 received the inaugural Alliance of Information and Referral Systems Innovation Award for the team’s work on Hurricane Florence.

Heather is a graduate of Meredith College in Raleigh with a B.S. degree in Business Administration. Heather serves on the Board of Directors of the NC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster; is a member of the National 211 Steering Committee; serves on the NC Disaster Recovery Non-Profit and Volunteerism Task Force; and is a frequent speaker at 211 conferences and on webinars.

JOIN OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Our board of directors may be small, but it is mighty. We have extremely talented, passionate, and dynamic individuals who volunteer as board members. Cardinal Opportunities is pleased and grateful for our group of board members who help carry out our mission and vision.

Are you interested in leading the way to social change? We are always interested in having other energetic and collaborative individuals join our board of directors! Board members dedicate their time, offer their expertise, and utilize their experience and resources to guide the organization. We welcome people who have a passion for our mission and addressing the needs of services users, who are familiar with non-profit governance, who enjoy fundraising, and who are committed to helping others acquire and achieve practical skills and workplace success and sustainability.

If you believe in our work and have the time to volunteer as a board member, please email info@cardinalopps.org with your resume and a statement of interest to join our group of board members. People of color, persons with disabilities, individuals identifying as LGBTQ+, and those who have experienced interpersonal violence are encouraged to apply.

What We Do

SERVICES

Cardinal Opportunities, Inc. offers the following services via one-on-one webinar, teleconference, and in-person meeting; group workshops, courses, and seminars via webinar, teleconference, and in-person meeting; retreats; and, one-time speaking engagements:

Educational programming focused on professional development such as resume building, drafting customized cover letters, interviewing preparation and techniques, networking, and guidance for long-term job success. Cardinal Opportunities will identify skills and qualities that program participants already have, and work to develop, hone, and nurture these skills for the real world and workplace.

Coaching for effective communication and conflict resolution skills such as active listening, rapport building, facilitative mediation techniques, integrative negotiation, and self-advocacy.

Educational programming regarding financial literacy themes such as budgeting, banking, credit, credit scores, loans (e.g., auto, home, student), and savings and investment considerations that will ensure the long-term success of those who take part in the financial literacy program.

Educational programming and coaching related to well-being such as confidence, self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and self-nurturing and self-care techniques.

Leadership training that will assist participants in identifying and understanding effective leadership values and how to practice effective leadership. Cardinal Opportunities staff members are trained in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and EQ-i 2.0/EQ 360 (emotional intelligence).

Solutions-based coaching and strategic advising for small business owners and other non-profit organizations providing feedback and ongoing analysis as to the organization’s performance in terms of efficacy and efficiency. Popular coaching areas include leadership development, effective communication, conflict resolution, partnering facilitation, marketing and communications, and gap analysis.

WHO WE SERVE

Women. Women of color, women with disabilities, women from generational poverty, single mothers, young mothers, and women business owners.

Survivors of Interpersonal Violence (IPV) and Sex Trafficking. Survivors of family and intimate partner violence or community violence.

Individuals in Addiction Recovery. Individuals working through alcohol or substance use dependency.

First-Generation Learners. The first individual in the family to attend college.

New Americans. Those seeking (or who have sought) refuge or asylum in the United States.

Veterans. Individuals discharged from the military, as well as those preparing to exit military service.

Individuals Identifying as LGBTQ+. Individuals identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning.

At-Risk Young People. Young people who are less likely to transition successfully into adulthood due to various risk factors such as homelessness, substance use, criminal activity or incarceration, abuse, mental illness, stressful family environments, neglect, lack of social or emotional supports, and harmful peer association.

Black, Indigenous and People of Color-Owned Small Businesses. BIPOC-owned small businesses in need of assistance related to strategic and financial planning, human resources, and marketing and communications activities.

Non-Profit Organizations. Other non-profit organizations seeking inputs and solutions for leadership development, communication support, organizational efficacy and efficiency, partnering facilitation, gap analysis, and conflict resolution.