Lauren Williams
“The FORESIGHT Initiative provides an opportunity to hear voices across socioeconomic, political, and regional divides in order to come together as one national community and engage in a timely conversation about the future of health and wellness. I am thankful to be part of such a dynamic and forward-thinking team focused on reevaluating our current practices, norms, and systems in order to strategically plan for a future where we all thrive.”
As a Minneapolis native, with roots in the Historic St. Paul Rondo community, Lauren Williams has been engaged with community service organizations focused on uplifting communities of color since childhood—developing her leadership on the shoulders of strong community educators and activists.
Lauren graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications Studies and a minor in Leadership. During her time as a student, Lauren was a Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence Ambassador and volunteered with Be The Match, the national bone marrow registry, educating and registering community members in an effort to increase the likelihood that people of color could find a bone marrow donor match.
Starting as a volunteer with the Marnita’s Table Youth Advisory Board at the age of nineteen, Lauren joined the team in 2016 as Communications Coordinator, changing roles in 2017 to focus on enhancing the Intentional Social Interaction training experience. As Training and Project Director at Marnita’s Table, Lauren manages trainings and client-based projects involving training components, ensuring that Intentional Social Interaction (IZI) is accessible to all.