Lauren Cook (she/her)
Founder + Lead Strategist
Lauren is a writer, strategist, storyteller, and above all, a believer in the power of connecting. She believes when we connect with individuals, ideas, and the natural world around us, we can change ourselves and change the world.
For nearly 20 years, Lauren has worked at the intersection of public policy, advocacy, storytelling, and research to lead communications on essential social issues. Prior to founding Connecting Our Stories, Lauren worked for 10 years as a strategist for the Charles Butt Foundation and Raise Your Hand Texas, both powerhouses in Texas public education advocacy. Before that, she directed communications for a school finance association and shaped state policy as a Legislative Aide in the Texas Senate. Lauren is a two-time graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, with a bachelor’s in English and a master’s in Spanish.
Lauren, a working mom in the trenches, gave up long ago on the idea of “balance.” Instead, she tries to appreciate the daily pleasures and pressures of co-parenting her two beloved kids, ages eight and 11. Lauren’s husband, a public high school history teacher, inspires her every day with his dedication to serve others and do what’s right. What keeps Lauren’s head above water is a delicate combination of walks and coffees with friends, yoga, hiking, tending to her backyard chickens, dark chocolate, and a round of golf if she’s lucky.
Lauren recently self-published Domino’s Dots, a children’s book about the importance of community connections. It was inspired by a bell hooks quote: “The love we make in community stays with us wherever we go.”