Understanding the role of Chief Development Officer (CDO)

Fractional CDO | CMO

Strategic Sales, Systems & Organizational Design

Elizabeth is an experienced Fractional CDO and CMO with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations grow, reposition, launch new initiatives, and navigate change. Her work spans development strategy, marketing, revenue growth, partnerships, new ventures, brand positioning, and executive leadership.

She works with leadership teams to identify where growth and development are being constrained, then builds a clearer strategy around new revenue opportunities, partnerships, market expansion, customer or donor growth, and organizational priorities. Rather than looking at development as a single function, Elizabeth connects it with the broader business strategy to help organizations make stronger decisions about where to invest and how to grow.

Her strength is helping organizations evaluate opportunities, prioritize the right initiatives, and move from idea to execution with greater clarity. She is especially effective with nonprofits, startups, founder-led organizations, and established companies exploring new ventures, partnerships, expansion, repositioning, or alternative revenue streams.

Areas of Focus: Fractional CDO • Development Strategy • New Ventures • Partnership Strategy • Revenue Growth • Market Expansion • Brand Positioning • Go-to-Market Strategy • Executive Strategy

Fractional CDO | CEO

Fractional Executive | VC/PE | Franchising

Lyle brings more than 30 years of experience in business development, franchise growth, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership. His career has included serving as President, Chief Development Officer, founder, and board member across emerging and established franchise concepts, with a track record of taking businesses from early-stage ideas through national expansion, investor partnerships, and multimillion-dollar growth.

Lyle’s expertise sits between franchise development, business modeling, and scalable growth. He's built franchise concepts from the ground up, led market expansion strategies, developed strategic partnerships, and negotiated franchise agreements. 

His experience includes building a national franchise system that generated more than $4.3 million in 27 months, supporting a $5 million PE valuation, and developing a new athletic franchise concept that generated more than $1.3M in first-year sales.

Areas of Focus: Franchise Development • Business Growth Strategy • Concept Development • Market Expansion • Strategic Partnerships • Investor Readiness • Go-to-Market Strategy

NONPROFIT ADVISOR

Nonprofit | Development | Fundraising

Alina is a nonprofit development and fundraising advisor with more than 15 years of experience across development, higher education, community engagement, social media, and influencer marketing. 

Her background includes work with organizations such as United Way and Miami Dade College, along with community-focused organizations that rely on strong relationships, donor support, and public engagement to advance their mission.

She works with smaller nonprofits and growing organizations that need experienced development guidance but may not require a full-time executive. Alina helps teams strengthen donor outreach, fundraising strategy, sponsorships, partnerships, stewardship, and community engagement while creating a more organized and sustainable approach to development.

Her broader experience in social media, influencer strategy, and audience engagement also allows her to help organizations connect fundraising with stronger storytelling, visibility, and supporter relationships. This makes her especially well suited for organizations that need practical, hands-on support across both development and engagement.

Areas of Focus: Nonprofit Development • Fundraising Strategy • Donor Engagement • Sponsorships • Partnerships • Community Engagement • Higher Education • Social Media Strategy