39Laura joined NEO after working in community-based organizations focused on poverty alleviation, social enterprise, and collective impact collaborations. In her time at places like the Bowery Mission in New York City and Thistle Farms in Nashville, Tennessee, Laura saw firsthand the importance of a strong operational backbone in building sustainable platforms for social change. Laura holds an M.Ed. in Community Development & Action from Vanderbilt University. Laura and her wife Aubree are foster parents and live in Brooklyn.