Laura is passionate about advancing social justice by supporting organizations and communities to engage in strategic, equity-focused learning. Her vision is for all people to be able to live fulfilled, safe, joyful lives – especially people who have experienced systemic injustice and violence. As a Korean American adoptee growing up in a mixed race family in Berkeley, California, Laura’s curiosity about identity and race led her to study sociology at UC Davis and UCLA where she studied social inequality and race, developed expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methods, and a penchant for using data to draw connections from people’s lives and experiences to systems, structures, and cultures.
Laura’s work at LFA has focused on evaluation and learning, with an emphasis on developing thoughtful, values-aligned approaches to engaging key stakeholders and voices in data collection, analysis, and meaning making to advance more equitable outcomes. She has served as a strategic learning and evaluation partner to a diverse set of foundations, nonprofits, and public sector organizations, and her project work has spanned a range of issue areas including economic mobility, health, education (early childhood, K-12, and higher ed), housing and community development. Laura previously served as LFA’s Director of Equitable Practice and led LFA’s Equity Leadership Team, facilitating ongoing personal and organizational learning, reflection, and skill development for embedding and advancing equity in LFA’s work.
Laura recharges by playing as much soccer as possible, hiking deep into the mountains, growing and cooking delicious food, and relaxing with family and friends in Oakland where she lives.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, University of California, Davis
Master of Arts, Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles
Selected Project Experience
Backbone Participatory Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Partner for Sobrato Philanthropies’ Thriving Communities Initiative
Evaluation of Housing Trust Silicon Valley’s First-time Homebuyer Programs
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Transforming Health and Health Care Systems Equity Learning Lab
Kresge Foundation's FreshLo (Fresh, Local, Equitable) Evaluation
Evaluation and Learning Partner to First 5 Fresno County