Lauren Grimanis

Lauren has had a diverse background in traditional non-profits and as a social entrepreneur and a social impact consultant. Launching her career at Habitat for Humanity, Lauren worked to improve affordable housing for families through resource and community development. In 2014, she moved to Ghana to work full time on a non-profit organization, The Akaa Project, which she founded as a senior in high school. Living and working in rural Ghana, she was focused on closing the gap in rural education and developing a sustainable, local organization. The Akaa Project now provides computer education and literacy programs to over 150 students on a daily basis. Prior to seeking her MBA, Lauren was an independent social impact consultant working with Founders, Executive Directors, and startup social enterprises to support them in growth and tying new technologies into organizational practices. Lauren graduated with a Global Development and Management major from the College of Wooster (Ohio) where she was a two-sport athlete.

As a Jacobs Fellow, Lauren plans to engage with the Jacobs Network and Foundation to bring together multi-disciplinary ideas and practices to build up the social sector. Similar to the principles of TRECC, she is interested in how governments, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector can collaborate to create scale and reach, especially for young women and farming communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Lauren is eager to learn from the breadth of knowledge within the Jacobs Network and to share her past experiences and MBA learnings.

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