Impact that moves at the speed of trust
Our Team
Founder and Chief Innovation Officer
Jo Jensen
Jo Jensen is the founder of Little Lion, where she oversees powerful social change campaigns and amplifies our partners' impact through storytelling. Jo is an award-winning producer, holds a Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening, and has raised over $100 million for the issues featured in her films.
A thought leader on the power of storytelling and social change, she has been invited to speak at the White House, United Nations, Google, Facebook, Congress, and C-SPAN. She has been featured in national news outlets, including The LA Times, Washington Post, NPR, and CNN. Her work shaping the conversation of the 2008 presidential election for Millennial voters was featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal.
Jo studied politics and economics at Mount Holyoke College and served as student body president. Jo is a proud graduate of the Leadership Program of the Rockies and a current Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow.
Founder and CEO
Liz Stiff
Elizabeth Stiff is Founder of Little Lion Impact where she is responsible for building innovative strategies and effective teams.
Previously, Elizabeth founded an EMMY award-winning marketing firm, where her communications and marketing success spanned the world of public policy, sports, entertainment, and nonprofits.
She has extensive experience forming partnerships with industry leaders like NASCAR, Virgin Atlantic, Billboard Music, Virginia is for Lovers, and Destination Canadian.
Her work has been featured in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Good Morning America, Newsweek, and Politico.
Elizabeth studied political science and communications at the College of Charleston and is a proud Cougar. Originally from North Carolina, she now resides with her family in Virginia.
Operations Team Lead
Emily Soper
Emily Soper is the operations team lead at Little Lion Impact where she works closely with partners to ensure that every project has the staff support and resources needed to succeed. She previously served as the vice president of operations at Common Sense Society, supporting the organization’s various teams to meet operational goals efficiently and effectively. Prior to joining CSS, she worked in press and communications at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. She received her B.A. in international studies from Baylor University, and studied human rights and East Asian political affairs at Yonsei University in South Korea and American University in Washington, D.C.
Chief Strategy Officer
Nico Zviovich
Nico Zviovich serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at Little Lion Impact, where he helps our clients plan and execute ambitious campaigns that drive social change.
Nico has successfully planned and executed PR and marketing campaigns for public policy organizations, advocacy groups, and award-winning documentary films.
Nico earned his B.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University and studied Mandarin and U.S.-China Relations at Peking University in Beijing.
When he isn’t charting the course for impactful campaigns, Nico enjoys unwinding with a book in his hammock or planning out his next trip.
Communications Director
Mariza Smajlaj Weyeneth
Mariza is a strategic communicator who loves to build impactful narratives. With her experience in media, government, and communications, Mariza brings content strategy and brand storytelling to Little Lion.
Previously, she served as a Communications Director in the U.S. Congress and as the Editor of theSkimm, directing coverage and educating an audience of 7 million.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from The Catholic University of America and is dedicated to fostering connections that matter.
Born in Albania, she now resides with her husband in Washington, D.C.