Lauren Woodman has spent 25 years working at the intersection of technology, development, and policy. Most recently, she was the CEO of NetHope, a consortium of 60 of the largest global nonprofits and tech companies from 2014-2020.

Before that, she held a variety of positions in the private sector, government, and the UN, including managing Microsoft’s global education and government programs for more than a decade and serving as an executive at the Software and Information Industry Association. Currently, she is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Board of Stewards for its Initiative on Digital Economy and its Trustworthy Data Collaboration. Lauren holds degrees from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and Smith College. She lives in Seattle with her partner and two daughters.

Lauren’s entire career has been defined by the intersection of tech, development and policy, driven by a passion to use technology to solve difficult international problems. With a graduate degree in foreign policy from John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Lauren has worked in a variety of high-level positions: in policy at the United Nations, as an executive at the Software and Information Industry Association, and, for more than a decade, running Microsoft Corporation’s global education and government programs, all leading her to her leadership role at NetHope in 2014.