Liz Sweigart – Inclusive Design Institute

Liz Sweigart, Ph.D.

From history major (with side quests in Medieval Studies and chemical engineering) to nonprofit finance leader, Big 4 tax partner, and now Co-Founder & CEO of Visvere, nothing about my career has been linear. Along the way, I picked up an MBA in Operations and Supply Chain Management and a PhD in Organizational Leadership Psychology — because understanding systems, whether financial, technological, or human, has always been at the core of what I do.

At Visvere, we’re solving one of the biggest challenges in business today: trusting the digital documents that drive critical decisions. Powered by Holochain and using distributed ledger technology, we enable instant, tamper-proof authentication without adding friction to existing workflows.

I am a Postdoctoral alum of the Computer Science Department at Vanderbilt University, and have the pleasure of continuing to collaborate with Dr. Pam Wisniewski’s Socio-Technical Interaction Research (STIR) Lab. I was named a Distinguished Fellow in the Inclusive Design Institute in December 2023. In 2025, I am honored to serve as President of Division 13 of the American Psychological Association (the Society of Consulting Psychology).

I’m a systems thinker who thrives on big challenges and big opportunities. I’m passionate about creating environments where human beings can thrive and flourish—whether in business, technology, or wellness.

I also live with major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In 2020, I took a year-long leave from PwC to focus on my mental wellness, and I now speak and write openly about mental health, especially in the workplace and when it comes to digital wellbeing. My blog, https://SeriouslyJerkBrain.com, chronicles much of my journey.

Board service and advisory

Teaching experience

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Adjunct Faculty, Dissertation Advisor | 2023 – present
–   OL579: Promoting Diversity in Organizations
–   OL621: Advanced Qualitative Research Methods
–   PB451: Advanced Social Psychology & Behavioral Economics
–   PB566: Intergroup Conflict Resolution
–   PY490TX: Social-Organizational Psychology

Professional associations

–   American Psychological Association / Member
–   Association of Women in Crypto / Member
–   The Inclusive Design Institute / Distinguished Fellow
–   International Coaching Federation / ACC-credentialed coach
–   Society of Consulting Psychologists (APA Division 13) / President (2025); APA Program Chair (2022, 2023)
–   Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (APA Division 9) / Life Member; Historian (2023)
–   Web3 CFO Club / Member

Publications

Bond, D. W., Raby, N. L., & Sweigart, E. A. (2012). Transfer pricing critical for offshore O&G success. Offshore, 72(11), 124-124.

Bond, D., Sweigart, E.A., Fischl, A. (March 2014). The potential impact of the application of transfer pricing principles to foreign tax credit analysis for inter-branch transactions of US-based multinational enterprises. LexisNexis® Emerging Issues Analysis, 7169, 1-6.

Dykes, I., Holmes, T., Sweigart, E.A. (September 28, 2015). Value chain analysis: Aligning income and expense under BEPS. Tax Notes International, 1121-1123.

Elliott, J., Thompson, C., O’Brien, K. H., & Sweigart, E. A. (2016). Final BEPS guidance renews emphasis on intercompany agreements. Tax Notes International, 82(3), 281-284.

Gionta, D., & Sweigart, E. A. (2022). How healthy boundaries build trust in the workplace. strategy+business(107), 20-23.

Nickson, D., Ernick, D., & Sweigart, E. A. (2014). Final documentation guidance under the OECD BEPS plan: Considerations for information system and controllership processes. Tax Management Transfer Pricing Report, 23(11), 753-755.

Nickson, D., Ernick, D., & Sweigart, E. A. (2014). OECD documentation, CbC reporting requirements elevate importance of preparation in IT and controllership processes. Tax Management Transfer Pricing Report, 24(2), 167-173.

Nickson, D., Sweigart, E. A., Hwang, A., & Wood, S. (2015). Beyond spreadsheets: Emerging trends in transfer pricing technology. Tax Notes International, 79(12), 1033-1036.

O’Brien, K., Raby, N., Sweigart, E. A., Calleja, P. (January 12, 2015). Brave new world: The OECD’s BEPS Action Plan poses immediate challenges for oil and gas companies. Oil & Gas Financial Journal (12)1, 8-12.

Sweigart, E. A. (2018). If cash is king, why doesn’t it rule? strategy+business(92), 57-65.

Sweigart, E. A. (2021). A new role for business leaders: Moral integrator. strategy+business(105), 44-49.

Sweigart, E. A. (2021). The moral integrator: How for-profit organizations in the United States apply ethical leadership in response to publicized incidents of anti-Black racism (Publication No. 28497513) [Doctoral dissertation, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Sweigart, E. A. (2022). When it comes to career growth, who’s really got your back? strategy+business.

Sweigart, E. A. (2022). The changing face of leadership. In N. Ind & O. Iglesias (Eds.), In good conscience: Do the right thing while building a profitable business (pp. 167-171). Palgrave Macmillan.

Sweigart, E. A., Park, J. K., & Wisniewski, P. J. (2025). It takes a village: Youth online safety research highlights need for interdisciplinary, multistakeholder solutions. Journal of Advances in Information Technology, 16(1), 121-129. https://doi.org/10.12720/jait.16.1.121-129

Conference Presentations

Benson, T. M., & Sweigart, E. A. (2021, February 11-12). Social entrepreneurship, values-based decision making, and appreciative inquiry: Treecreate as a case study [Conference session]. 3rd Annual BEST Conference on Human Behaviour & Decision Making, Brisbane, QLD, Australia (presented via Zoom due to COVID).

Gent, L., Newton, A., Lopez., P., Felker, A., Sweigart, E.A., & Agyemang, K. (2022, June 23-24). Data for good: Achieving GlobalMindED’s bold goal by 2025 [Conference presentation]. 2022 GlobalMindED Conference: Listen. Think. Act., Denver, CO, United States.

Gionta, D., & Sweigart, E.A. (2023, February 3-5). It’s always been a matter of trust: How consulting psychologists can help clients build healthy boundaries in the workplace [Conference presentation]. 2023 Society of Consulting Psychology Annual Conference, Manhattan Beach, CA, United States.

Onate, J., Appelbaum, G., Yilmaz Balban, M., Roumengous, T., & Sweigart, E.A. (2022, December 7). Maximizing Cognitive Performance [Conference session]. US Army Futures Command VERTEX Human Performance Workshop, Austin, TX, United States.

Sweigart, E. A. (2020, February 13-14). Toward a gold standard for diversity and inclusion (D&I) maturity measurement: A narrative literature review (NLR) and insights for future research [Conference session]. 2nd Annual BEST Conference on Human Behaviour & Decision Making, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. https://research.qut.edu.au/best/wp-content/uploads/sites/244/2020/03/Elizabeth-Sweigart.pdf

Sweigart, E. A. (2020, June 22-26). Diversity and inclusion: We’re measuring it wrong [Poster presentation]. TCSPP Graduate Research Forum, Online (due to COVID).

Sweigart, E. A. (2022, February 10-11). Pause, reflect, and redirect: A new approach to helping adolescents make better decisions online [Conference presentation]. 4th Annual BEST Conference on Human Behaviour & Decision Making, Brisbane, QLD, Australia (presented via Zoom due to COVID).

Sweigart, E. A. (2022, August 3-5). Risky business: Reframing the practice of risk management for psychologists [Conference presentation]. American Psychological Association Convention 2022, Minneapolis, MN, United States.

Sweigart, E. A. (2023, February 2-3). Beyond blocking: Factors influencing parents’ buying decisions for kids’ online safety software [Conference session]. 5th Annual BEST Conference on Human Behaviour & Decision Making, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Sweigart, E. A. (2025, February 13-14). Deciphering digital trust: Factors influencing how individuals evaluate online documents for decision making. 6th Annual BEST Conference on Human Behaviour and Decision Making, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Sweigart, E.A., Betts, S., Fisher, S., & Welch, K. (2022, June 23-24). Mental health solutions for global crisis in wellness: Charting a new normal [Conference presentation]. 2022 GlobalMindED Conference: Listen. Think. Act., Denver, CO, United States.

Sweigart, E. A., & Jennings, S. (2023, August 4-6). Everything you want to know about becoming an executive coach but are afraid to ask [Conference presentation]. American Psychological Association Convention 2023, Washington, DC, United States.

Sweigart, E.A., & Montecillo, C. (2022, June 23-24). Responsible AI: Helping people, society, and the planet [Conference presentation]. 2022 GlobalMindED Conference: Listen. Think. Act., Denver, CO, United States.

Sweigart, E.A., Swayze, S., Symonds, C., Radman, C., McPollom, R., & Sekutera, J. (2022, June 23-24). Digital well being: Creating safe cyber spaces [Conference presentation]. 2022 GlobalMindED Conference: Listen. Think. Act., Denver, CO, United States.

Treanor, E., Berkman, M., Kim, K-S., Gardner, W., & Sweigart, E.A. (2022, March 29-30). Creating a safe cyber space for children & teens [Conference presentation]. Sync Digital Wellbeing Summit, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Community Leadership

Certifications/Badges

Education

Education

Employment

Visvere, Inc.
Remote | Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer | Jan. 2025 – present
Co-Founder and chief executive of a pioneering Web3 company powered by Holochain, dedicated to instantly authenticating digital files that underpin critical business decisions. Lead strategic direction, growth initiatives, and operational management, overseeing product development and market positioning within the emerging “Know Your Document” (KYD) category. Engage in extensive collaboration with enterprise and governmental partners to embed secure, transparent, and tamper-proof document authentication solutions into their core workflows. Leveraging expertise at the intersection of financial systems, decentralized technology, and organizational psychology, actively shape industry conversations on digital trust, data sovereignty, and innovation.

Key achievements:
·    Successfully bootstrapped the company, demonstrating strategic financial stewardship and efficient resource management
·    Secured first enterprise customer prior to product launch, validating market demand and product-market fit at the earliest stage
·    Accelerated development timeline from initial concept to beta product launch in under six months, showcasing exceptional execution, agility, and focused leadership
·    Pioneered a new market category, “Know Your Document” (KYD), establishing Visvere as a thought leader in digital trust and authentication within Web3 and decentralized technology spaces
·    Built strategic partnerships across enterprise and public-sector organizations, reinforcing Visvere’s position and credibility within the blockchain and digital authentication ecosystem

Versatus Labs, Inc.
Remote | Chief Financial Officer | Feb. 2023 – May 2024
Senior finance and operations executive for an innovative blockchain technology start up on a mission to solve for the current challenges of Web3 by decentralizing development beyond smart contracts and building a bridge that empowers Web2 developers to create killer dApps. Led all aspects of global structuring, finance, people strategy, and operations as well as contributed to overall company strategy, fundraising, and tokenomics.

Key achievements:
·    Co-led seed extension capital raise of $2.3 million
·    Instantiated legal entity structure including establishing end-to-end governance, process, and controls across 3 jurisdictions for token launch
·    Transitioned people and operations processes and systems from manual

Safe Kids AI
Remote | Chief Product & Strategy Officer | Nov. 2021 – Jan. 2023
Co-founded an innovative education technology company on a mission to empower kids to be safer online by helping them make better decisions. Led all aspects of product design, development, and commercialization as well as overall company strategy and revenue generation.

Key achievements:
·    Co-led initial capital raise of $1.85 million
·    Developed groundbreaking technology resulting in three patents currently pending before the USPTO
·    Created novel, trauma-informed coaching framework for intervening in problematic technology and internet use by children and teens recognized by global experts with proven effectiveness in schools
·    Generated user base of thousands of students across the United States

PwC
Houston, TX | Partner | Jul. 2016 – Oct. 2021 / Director | Mar. 2011 – Jun. 2016
Trusted advisor to c-suites and boards of directors serving clients across a variety of industry sectors including energy, utilities, and mining; industrial products; chemicals; telecom; high tech; health/pharma/biotech; consumer products and services; and aerospace. Primarily focused on strategic transaction design and execution—giving companies the ability to see the (sometimes unintended) downstream cash consequences of their business decisions, processes, and actions in real time to drive better decision making, enhance cash flows, mitigate risk, and sustainably increase shareholder value. Engagement experience includes legal entity structuring and rationalization; strategic cost reduction; tax planning and compliance; tax controversy; digital transformation; DEI; qualitative and quantitative research (including advanced statistical analysis); and design, development, and implementation of governance, process, and controls systems and technology solutions. Coached, mentored, and developed team of 25 economists, attorneys, and tax consultants.

Key achievements:
· Built tax compliance and consulting practice from scratch to multi-million-dollar annual revenues
·    Created, developed, and commercialized B2B digital product with first-year revenue of > $1 million
·    Led intercompany digital transformation project for Fortune 50 company
·    Led DEI policy and program development for Top 30 US research university

Verse Consulting LLC
Houston, TX | Partner | Jul. 2009 – Feb. 2011
Co-founded first boutique international tax and transfer pricing firm in Houston serving the middle market. Developed client base, referral partners, and marketing plan for new firm. Implemented social media campaign for the firm; nominated for Austin-American Statesman Social Media Award in 2009. Led consulting projects including workout and turnaround, valuation, and post-merger integration. Following joint venture with CF&W, P.C. in 2010, assumed transfer pricing partner responsibilities at CF&W, including business development, client relationship management and hiring, training and mentoring staff. Following Verse’s ultimate merger with Opportune LLP in 2011, managed transition of staff and clients to new organization. Served as Interim CEO for wholesale apparel company during turnaround.

Houlihan Lokey
Chicago, IL | Associate | Oct. 2007 – Jun. 2009
First below-officer hire at Houlihan Lokey in M&A transfer pricing. Developed leads and generated business for group. Functioned as senior manager, coordinating hiring and staffing for below-officer positions. Provided extensive mentoring, training, and development of junior professionals. Developed initial analyses of clients’ intercompany transactions, including functional analysis, market and industry analysis, and application of relevant US and local jurisdiction rules and standards. Worked with senior level personnel to complete economic and financial analyses. Completed projects in oil and gas, banking, financial services, manufacturing, professional services, and transportation and shipping industry sectors. Held Series 7, Series 63 securities licenses.

PwC
Houston, TX | Senior Associate | Sep. 2006 – Sep. 2007 / Associate | May 2005 – Aug. 2006
Consistently delivered complex projects as a Senior Associate. Acted as acting-manager, coordinated staffing, reviewing and quality-controlling work product of junior staff, serving as client liaison for projects across multiple jurisdictions dealing with all facets of transfer pricing from tangible goods transactions to cost sharing, IP migration, implementation of (then) new US Treasury Regulations governing services, and other multifaceted technical areas. Completed American Society of Appraisers BV202 course of study (business valuation). Extensive controversy experience, including IRC section 482 and section 199. Designed, developed, and led training programs in quality control and provided recruiting support, coaching, and leadership to new staff. Involved in preparation of technical presentations to external clients and trade organizations. Served as technology champion for Houston Transfer Pricing Group. Responsible for overseeing implementation of new technologies at local office level and providing troubleshooting support to team. Facilitated roll-out of global database system to the Houston team.

The Episcopal Diocese of Texas
Houston, TX | Financial Officer | Aug. 2002 – Apr. 2005
Developed, implemented, and tracked performance of $10 million annual operating budget. Led accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll functions. Prepared financial statements for annual report. Presented financial results and analysis to senior leadership and Executive Board. Worked with volunteer church treasurers, compensated business managers, and banking and management professionals to provide support in all areas of individual congregations’ and diocesan institutions’ operations, including church and clergy tax issues. Created training programs and provided personal consultation services to increase knowledge and efficacy among lay and ordained persons involved in church financial operations.

Arthur Andersen LLP
Houston, TX | Associate | Jun. 2001 – Jul. 2002
Conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with international clients to develop a thorough understanding of business, including operations, sales and marketing, and administration (oil and gas, refuse management, information technology, B2B e-commerce industries). Wrote intricate, report-length summaries of clients’ business functions for developing tax-planning strategies and as documentary evidence for IRS and international tax authorities. Completed 15 reports in one year, the highest number by any member of the Houston transfer pricing group. Assisted in developing and writing tax liability analyses and strategies, using computerized economic modeling program, as well as reviews of transfer pricing legislation for over 10 countries; analyzed impact of each jurisdiction’s requirements on client’s operations.