Lauren is the Strategic Communications Manager at Invest Appalachia. Before joining IA, Lauren provided strategic communications and mediation services to corporate and nonprofit clients in Asheville and beyond. With an emphasis on conservation and place-based nonprofit work, Lauren has fostered community-based change through creative communication, collaborating closely with business owners and team leaders to enhance strategy and improve mission alignment. Lauren thrives on projects deeply rooted in community, paving the way for people to share their stories and make authentic connections.
Lauren holds an M.S. in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding from The Carter School at George Mason University with a concentration in Media, Narrative, and Public Discourse. While at The Carter School, she was a fellow in the Narrative Transformation Lab focusing on Conflict Ecology, with a research focus on migration, identity, and narrative construction in conflict zones. She earned a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from The College of Charleston.
Before a career shift to peacebuilding and communications, Lauren spent over a decade as an investigator and open-source intelligence analyst. She also served as Editor for the Council of International Investigators. Lauren is a SHRM-SCP and certified as a Superior Court mediator by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission.
A passionate education advocate, Lauren is a board communications advisor for The Clemente Course in the Humanities. She and her family live in Asheville, where she spends her free time biking, reading, playing music, and tending to too many plants and pets.
“There’s a tired old myth that Appalachia’s story has already been written, and years of extraction and service to the greater good have certainly left scars. But the reality on the ground in Central Appalachia feels very different– our communities are remarkably resilient, and they’re ready for an influx of capital to power the creativity and vision that make our part of the world unique.”
