We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lauren Wagman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lauren below.

Lauren , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?

Ever since I was a child, I knew my career would somehow relate to social justice and social impact, though I didn’t have those words for it quite yet. When I graduated from college, I searched through the listings for nonprofit jobs and was thrilled when I stumbled upon an opening for a position at the Posse Foundation in their Los Angeles office. Posse identifies remarkable high school students from across the country who might be missed by top tier colleges and universities—and provides scholarships, preparation and ongoing support to bolster their success in college and beyond. I was familiar with Posse because I had attended Vanderbilt University, a Posse partner school.

The recruiting process for the job at Posse was unconventional in that the first interview mirrored the same process they use for student selections. I was invited into the office with 15-20 other candidates and participated in team building activities and small group conversations. When I was invited to advance in the process, the interviews became a bit more traditional. Ultimately, getting offered the job was so exciting, and working at Posse was an incredible opportunity to collaborate with dedicated and talented colleagues in the LA office and across the country on programming that supported exceptional student leaders.

Lauren , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

One of my biggest learnings over nearly twenty years in social impact is the importance of the early years on lifelong health and wellness. I’m so grateful for national organizations like Zero to Three and Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child whose work has increased public awareness about the importance of the early years and the types of supports needed to ensure all children have the opportunity to thrive.

I’m currently the executive director of Ready, Set, Read!, a Los Angeles based nonprofit that provides families with an abundance of children’s books, parent programs, and resources—helping parents lay the foundation for their children’s lifelong learning. Ready, Set, Read! reaches more than 10,000 children ages 0-5 and their families—and distributes 40,000 high quality children’s books for ownership—annually. Ready, Set, Read! envisions educational equity for children from birth onward, regardless of their zip code. We focus on book access and early literacy to ensure kindergarten readiness and future school success.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen the same profession or specialty?

Definitely, I am totally committed to the field of social impact. Over the past few decades we’ve seen the field evolving with the rise of social enterprises and B Corps; shifting attitudes about the responsibilities of businesses; and recently, the burgeoning practice of trust based philanthropy. I’m hopeful about the field’s continued evolution and impact. (Work in this field requires optimism and I’m in it for the long haul!)

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Tackling big, intractable problems requires coordination and collaboration, and I am always curious to learn from others in the field and partner to amplify our collective impact.

I’m really excited by some new collaboratives that Ready, Set, Read! is involved in. For example, the recently formed National Book Access Association is fostering strategic partnership and resource sharing to increase the capacity of the sector to provide equal access to books for all people. And, the Diverse Books for All Coalition is specifically focused on increasing access to affordable, high quality children’s books by and about diverse races, cultures, identities, and abilities. I’m so hopeful about the potential of both groups to enhance capacity to provide children with high quality, bilingual books that they will enjoy in the days and years to come.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.readysetread.org
• Instagram: @readysetreadla
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/ready-set-read-org