About

Dr. Alise Cortez is a Purpose/Engagement Catalyst, Speaker, Consultant, Researcher, Published Author, and Radio Show / Podcast Host based in Dallas, Texas. Her career in Human Capital / Organizational Excellence spans more than 20 years. Today she and her team are focused on helping companies, leaders, and individuals across the globe to cultivate meaning and purpose in their leadership and work to achieve greater fulfillment, higher engagement, more impactful results, and harmonic work-life integration. She is a sought-after speaker, and consults with organizations to increase employee engagement, improve performance, and develop purpose-driven culture and leadership.
Alise began her human capital career in 1998 as a staffing professional at Analysts International, corporate recruitment consulting at VoiceStream/T-Mobile, and HR System implementation and change management consulting at Hewitt Associates and PepsiCo. She co-founded and served as VP of Sales & Marketing at Improved Experience, a consulting firm that offered online feedback solutions and research for the Human Resource and Recruiting industry. For more than a decade since, she has been focused on igniting meaningful development that increases employee engagement, inspired performance, leadership effectiveness, and retention within organizations
After completing a Bachelors in Liberal Studies and a Masters in Liberal Studies (focusing on International Relations with South America), Alise earned a PhD in Human Development from Fielding Graduate University. Fascinated with how people choose and experience their careers, she focused her dissertation on meaning in work and its relationship to personal identity. Today, she is writing a book about her extended post-doctoral research that yielded 15 “Modes of Engagement,” a deep inquiry into how 115 people aged 18 to 80 from multiple industries experience meaning in their work in relation to their identity.
Alise also serves as Adjunct Faculty at Southern Methodist University in the Communications Department and does so in part to stay connected to the Millennial generation to help them and their first employers effectively interface with each other. She has lived in Spain and Brazil, and traveled extensively across Western Europe, South America, and parts of Asia and Oceania. She is conversationally comfortable in Spanish and Portuguese and has some language ability in French and Italian.
Alise is a Humanistic/Positivist psychology-educated professional and strives to catalyze individuals’ inherent drive toward self-actualization and expression of their unique capabilities and creativity. She is constantly working to awaken and realize her own potential and absolutely delights in guiding and inspiring clients to do the same. She endeavors to enjoy a full life with frequent travel outside the US, hosting numerous and large gatherings with good food and beverage, and being an active leader in her Dallas community. Alise has served on the following Boards in Dallas: YMCA at White Rock (past Chairman of the Board), Lakewood Service League (past President and fundraising Event Chair), Woodrow Wilson High School Community Foundation (past Needs Assessment Chair), Dallas Staffing Association (past VP of Professional Development and Diversity), and the Dallas Running Club (past Co-Race Director).
Specialties Include
- Employee Engagement
- Effective Communication
- Workplace Fulfillment and Well-Being
- Purpose-Driven Leadership
- Purpose-Based Organizational Design
- Assessing and Changing Organizational Culture
Why Choose Alise
- 20 years of experience in the human capital industry, including talent acquisition, employee learning and development, employee engagement, leadership development, and talent retention, culture assessment/change, and organizational design and development
- Research-grounded subject matter expert in meaning and purpose
- “Down-to-earth” approachability and authentic connection with the audience
- Language talents in English (native), Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Italian
What Alise Cortez and Associates do / specialties
- Speaks to enlighten, enliven, and empower her audiences to go after the life and work they so deeply desire
- Catalyzes personal, professional, and leadership transformation that increases effectiveness, improves relationship for deeper connection, and increases the impact of results
- Procures and engages dynamic thought leaders on her radio podcast to help listeners across the globe more meaningfully and productively connect with their work
- Creates and provides useful and effective tools and resources that help people access possibility, growth, and higher levels of performing and leading
Certifications and Affiliations
What Clients Are Saying

Alise Cortez PhD
Alise facilitating a Strengths workshop with college students in Madurai, India December 2014.
Media Links
https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/108237/what-inspiring-leaders-do-that-the-rest-of-us-can-copy
Interview with Judy Hoberman, Host of Selling in a Skirt – Being Engaged at Work and Why It’s Important to Business Results
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/209-Selling-In-A-Skirt-27264195/episode/being-engaged-28581685/
Interview with Silke Schwarzkopf, Executive Producer / 2nd Act TV on You Tube, Living a Fulfilled Life, Finding Passion and Meaning in Life after 50
http://bit.ly/2mFn5Jc or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv21qz2XLTQ&t=41s
Interview with Silke Schwarzkopf, Executive Producer / 2nd Act TV on You Tube, Finding Passion and Meaning in Life After Going Through Divorce
http://bit.ly/2lz1zpd or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOfWNNugVHg&t=84s
Interview with Silke Schwarzkopf, Executive producer / 2nd Act TV on You Tube, Following Your Dreams After 50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5saYyX7jMeE&t=73s
Kimberly Davis, Founder of OnStage Leadership and Author of Brave Leadership, wrote this blog about Alise’s leadership: A friend blogged about my leadership: https://onstageleadership.com/blog/2015/11/23/thankful-for-leaders-of-leaders/
Kimberly Davis, Founder of OnStage Leadership and Author of Brave Leadership, wrote this blog about Alise’s view on value and recognition to engage employees: https://onstageleadership.com/blog/2014/06/05/do-they-know/
Interview with Irma Vargas, Be Brilliant – Enjoy the Journey with Alise Cortez (Strengths-Based Leadership): http://www.rhgtvnetwork.com/media/311964
Interview with Joy Schwartz, Exploring Life and Career Transitions http://www.oneideaaway.com/tcv010-exploring-life-and-career-transitions-with-alise-cortez/
Interview with Stephanie and Anna Scheller, Sales and Talent Recruitment https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/black-belt-selling/e/50428446?autoplay=true
Interview with John Sumser of the HR Examiner, Finding Meaning in Work https://www.hrexaminer.com/hrx-big-ideas-radio-episode-2-finding-meaning-in-work-with-alise-cortez-phd/
Interview with Chris Dyer of TalentTalk, Mobilizing Talent to Catapult Performance, Alise being interviewed about Working on Purpose: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/209-TalentTalk-27264179/episode/alise-cortez-and-edgar-papke-27505846/
Interview with Sarah Webb of Plaid for Women, Engagement and Purpose at Work https://podfanatic.com/podcast/plaid-radio-by-plaid-for-women/episode/plaid-radio-episode-6-dr-alise-cortez
Women’s Leadership Conference with Alise Cortez speaking on Women Taking Charge of Their Lives (no audio): http://www.cornerstoneleague.coop/wlc_cortez.html
Book citation in Joyce Lain Kennedy’s Cover Letter for Dummies
Interview with Jean Oursler, Get More Results https://b2btv.tv/get-more-result-tv-with-jean-oursler-and-guest-alise-cortez-s2e4/