Hi there! 👋 I’m Laura, a strategic communications, outreach, and social impact professional currently based in Madison, Wisconsin.
I’ve managed and supported communications, community engagement, and impact measurement efforts at a range of international nonprofits and think tanks. I hold degrees in international policy and development, sociology/anthropology, and environmental studies.
I’d love to connect! Feel free to shoot me a line to chat about communications strategy, monitoring and evaluation, or the best kinds of cheeses.
About Me
With over a decade of experience in communications and community engagement, I am dedicated to fostering meaningful connections and driving impactful initiatives in the nonprofit and social impact sectors. In 2018, I co-founded Open Americas, a platform to share content that engages with contemporary social issues facing the Western Hemisphere. I’m also a freelance writer and work on a variety of ongoing projects.
Most recently, I contributed to community-building efforts and communications at EPIC People, supporting a vibrant international group of researchers with year-round talks, meetups, and courses, and the flagship conference.
Before that, my role at Working Capital for Community Needs, a nonprofit impact fund that invests in small entrepreneurs in Latin America, allowed me to manage investor relations and spearhead the inaugural social impact reporting process.
When I’m not working, you can find me triathlon training, trying out new restaurants, reading (check out some of my recs on this page!), writing, and exploring the outdoors via paddling, cross country skiing, camping, and hiking. I live a couple of short blocks from the zoo with my husband, an Economics and Finance PhD student at UW-Madison, and Neo, the best dog in the world.
Here’s what makes me tick…
Social impact storytelling
I love engaging with folks to learn about their stories and to share the transformative work they are doing!
I’ve conducted Q&As and interviews with incredible people including a former Guantánamo detainee and human rights activist, a Moth Grand Slam storytelling champion, the Executive Director of Exonerated Nation, and small entrepreneurs in Mexico City and Chiapas.
In grad school, I volunteered with Voice of Witness, an oral history nonprofit that amplifies the stories of people impacted by—and fighting against—injustice. I contributed to the oral history books “Solito, Solita: Crossing Borders with Youth Refugees from Central America” and “Chasing the Harvest: Migrant Workers in California Agriculture” as a Spanish/English translator, transcriber, and researcher. I highly recommend taking a look at VOW’s books and educational resources…I’m constantly fangirling over this powerhouse of an org and its vital work.
Interviewing María Josefina in Mexico City about her food business. Credit: Michael Kienitz for WCCN.
Community involvement
The principle “think globally, act locally” resonates with me.
A group of friends and I garden at Quann Community Garden, where we grow vegetables and flowers—and battle dandelions and voles. This past season, I volunteered to coordinate social and educational events at the garden including a talk on soil health, a Q&A with a master gardener, and a nature journaling workshop.
I also volunteer as a 1:1 English tutor at Literacy Network, where I’ve connected with learners from all over the world. Most recently, I’ve been completing onboarding for a volunteer position with the Red Cross on the Disaster Cycle Services team.
Forming connections & deepening relationships
I’ve spent meaningful time in Milwaukee, WI; Portland, OR; Santo Domingo, DR; Tunja, Colombia; Washington, DC; Monterey, CA; Anchorage, AK; and Madison, WI. In each place, it’s been a joy to get to know colleagues, friends, neighbors, and local community members.
With my English I class at the Universidad de Boyacá in Tunja, Colombia.
Learning new things
It’s always fun—and humbling—to try new things, and I’ve enjoyed exploring a range of new activities lately. Here are a few of them:
Producing radio segments for a feature about local-global ties for WORT FM, a community station
Taking a beekeeping class (would highly recommend, but ask me about getting stung right before my wedding reception…)
Art classes including letterpress printmaking (which gave me a heightened level of respect for newspaper publishers of yore) and pottery (which gave me a heightened level of respect for anyone who crafts beautiful pieces on a wheel…they make it look so easy!)
Guitar 1 and 2. It’s such a challenge and a delight to pick up an instrument as an adult learner.
Searching for the queen bee at the Farley Center for Peace, Justice, and Sustainability
Running
Running keeps me balanced, anchored in community, and eagerly looking ahead to my next challenge! A former DIII cross country athlete, I’ve transitioned to mainly training for longer races and have done around a dozen marathons and 50ks.
I’ve also coached a Girls on the Run team for two seasons and occasionally nerd out while writing training plans for friends and family!