“It’s okay to make mistakes and don’t be afraid to ask questions; that demonstrates curiosity and good judgment. Build team relationships and advocate for each other. Learning these lessons has shaped the way I lead, making me patient and available.”
Lisa Rubano brings a multidimensional perspective to specialty finance, combining over two decades of hands-on commercial lending experience with strategic brand positioning. She began her career in retail banking, advancing quickly to center manager with lending authority before pursuing her passion for business growth in commercial lending. Entering the male-dominated asset-based lending landscape of the early 1980s, she overcame institutional barriers by joining Fortune 500 lender Textron Financial. At Textron, Rubano mastered factoring and asset-based lending, eventually spearheading shared services marketing and establishing inaugural customer councils across multibillion-dollar revolving credit divisions.
Following the 2008 credit crisis, Rubano co-founded 50 Words to bridge a critical gap between financial execution and brand strategy. Having worked directly with business owners throughout her career, she possesses a deep understanding of cash flow dynamics and capital access challenges. This firsthand experience enables her to elevate complex, underutilized financing products through authentic storytelling and targeted marketing. Over the course of her career at 50 Words, she has empowered more than 100 B2B organizations to establish a recognizable market presence and accelerate growth.
Beyond traditional growth marketing, Rubano leads high-stakes crisis communications, a practice that now accounts for nearly half of the firm’s business. Serving as a stabilizing force during critical inflection points, such as bankruptcies and fraud litigation, she rapidly mobilizes tailored risk mitigation strategies that protect brand equity and preserve stakeholder trust.
What sets her apart is her commitment to dissecting the unique operational drivers behind every client. She also remains dedicated to mentoring up-and-coming women, instilling patience, curiosity and team advocacy. By grounding messaging in financial rigor and authentic human connection, Rubano continues to redefine strategic communications across financial services.
