Lauren Valdez

Lauren Luna-Valdez is the Co-Founder and Training Manager at Forte Labs, a company focused on helping knowledge workers improve their productivity through proven methods and tools.1 2

Professional Background

Lauren has extensive experience in facilitation and events, which she leverages to create immersive learning experiences designed to inspire sustainable behavior change.1 At Forte Labs, she leads the company's training, coaching, and consulting services for corporate, nonprofit, and government agency clients.2

Education and Previous Experience

Lauren holds dual Master's degrees from the University of California, Berkeley:

Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health and Social Behavior
Master of City Planning (MCP) in Housing, Community, and Economic Development2

Before co-founding Forte Labs in June 2015, Lauren worked in various roles in the nonprofit sector, including:

Program Officer at Low Income Investment Fund
Graduate Student Instructor at UC Berkeley
Program Manager and Coordinator at Global Lives Project2

Areas of Expertise

Lauren's expertise spans several areas:

Personal productivity and knowledge management
Design thinking
Organizational effectiveness
Community development and social justice
Public health and urban planning1 2 3

Mission and Approach

Lauren describes herself as a bridge builder between diverse fields and topics, and a translator between ideas and people.3 She aims to leverage the impact, tools, and resources of the private sector towards social issues she cares about, such as racial equity, creating healthy communities for low-income people, and youth personal development.3

Additional Information

Outside of her professional work, Lauren is an artist based in Long Beach, California. She paints, dances ballet and tap, plays guitar, and sings. She is also multilingual, speaking Spanish and Portuguese fluently.2 3