Lara is a seasoned project manager on Grads of Life’s advisory services team. In this role, she guides our work with employers who are interested in implementing more inclusive and equitable human capital practices. Her interest in expanding equitable access sparked in 2012, after attending a hearing where Microsoft testified, “A failure to invest in our local schools is a failure to invest in our future workforce.”
Prior to joining Grads of Life, she served four years as the special assistant to the chief officer of innovation and scale, working across Year Up United teams on the West Coast to support a wide range of fundraising, corporate engagement, team strategy, and special project management efforts.
Before joining Year Up United, Lara interned with D.C. Public Schools, Patton Boggs LLP and the City of Pittsburgh Office of the Mayor. She graduated with honors from Carnegie Mellon University, where she also earned a master’s degree in public policy and management. When not binge-watching competitive cooking shows, she loves to daydream about new travel adventures; to date, she has been to 30 countries.
