Lauryn N. Nwankpa

Co-Managing Director

2022 - Current

Brand Citizens was born out of a desire for the power of creativity to help brands generate positive social impact while advancing their business goals. Drive strategy to support iconic and emerging brands to operationalize, build capacity for and measure their impact. Lead growth, business development pipeline, strategy development and core service productization.

Venture Partner

2024

Purpose Built venture studio brings together pre-idea entrepreneurs, capital, coaching, and resources to turn the best ideas into great companies focused on fintech, upskilling, and the future of work.

Board Member

2021

As the only national EVSE-dedicated operations and maintenance service provider, ChargerHelp! takes a technology first approach to providing our clients with reliable, predictable, and hassle-free EV charging.

Venture Partner/Advisor

2020 - 2022

Driving innovation in social impact operations, strategy and reporting for the broader fund and portfolio companies.

Head of Social Impact

2020 - 2022

Founded Dave’s Social Impact division, leading a cross-functional team in strategy, developing innovative approaches to sustained philanthropy, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, strategic NGO partnerships, impact measurement and reporting, and integrating social impact modeling across the business.

Black Venture Institute Fellow (Cohort II)

2021 - 2021

Head of Social Impact

2018 - 2020

Broadening the reach of the Headspace brand by finding new and creative ways to bring Headspace’s practical wellness tools into communities that would want or need them but traditionally lack access. Launched Headspace for Education - a multi-phased approach to integrate mindfulness in classrooms across America reaching 300,000 US K-12 educators in its first year- cultivating partnerships with key education stakeholders including Google For Education, Teach for America, CASEL, and the California Department of Education. Key driver and stakeholder in the development of Headspace’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts and programs.

Senior Associate, Relationship Manager

2017 - 2018

As founding member of the customer success and relationship management team, I help spearhead the engagement strategy of a leading mindfulness and meditation workplace wellness program. Working collaboratively with cross-functional teams in business development, sales, product growth, marketing, PR and customer support,I helped build the strategic development of our onboarding and client engagement efforts, built client facing guidance and support, and helped integrate comprehensive client feedback loops to inform the development of Headspace’s proprietary SAAS enterprise platform. I worked cross-functionally across product, growth, marketing, PR and customer support teams, managing 100+ mid-large size corporate clients representing $700,000+ in revenue.

Founder & Creative Director

2014 - 2018

Hair To There (HTT) is a natural hair company that develops all organic, fair trade ingredient-based products for women of color with natural hair. HTT also develops education based curriculum tools to educate young women of color about the science, politics and history of their natural hair. Responsibilities include managing the day-today online sales and business operations, directing outreach and social media marketing campaigns to drive web-traffic and sales, and product research and development.

Social Impact Producer

2013 - 2016

• Manage the financial and creative development of video narratives, documentaries, training videos and PSAs focused on issues of education, at-risk youth, and programs supporting victims of crime. • Led the production of the 5-part video series entitled, “Helping Victims of Mass Violence and Terrorism: Planning, Response and Recovery” for the Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime including organizing and executing all field production, script development, and editing; managing client and hired-contractor relationships; and balancing a $450,000 project budget within the 18–month project timeline. • Managed the production of the 2015 and 2016 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Theme and Service Award Tributes Videos in partnership with the Office for Victims of Crime. • Transitioned and continued to foster relationships with DC Public Education Fund and DC Public Schools (DCPS) to produce the 2015 “Excellence in Teaching Award” tribute videos honoring highly effective DCPS educators and a promotional video that illustrated DCPS’ success in and expansion of Blended Learning initiatives. See examples of my work below:

Graduate Associate, Corporate Engagement

2013 - 2013

• Created and implemented tools and metrics to streamline the organization’s high net-worth individual, corporate, and prospective board member cultivation strategies. • Collaborated with DC Public Schools (DCPS) leadership to secure over $250,000 in grant funding to invest in innovative STEM, Blended Learning, and Family Engagement initiatives. • Managed the creation of the “Excellence in Teaching Award” tribute videos honoring highly effective educators for the annual fundraiser and gala, Standing Ovation for DC Teachers. • Successfully executed three citywide outreach, social media, and brand recognition events in partnership with United Way of the National Capital Area and DCPS’ Office of Family and Public Engagement. • Worked with DCPS’ Director of Technology & Library Media to develop a 3-year Blended Learning expansion plan including fundraising, capacity building and branding goals. • Led the production of a promotional video that illustrated DCPS’ success in and expansion of Blended Learning initiatives. • Supported program and grant management, which included proposal drafting, donor interfacing, creating fundraising marketing materials, school-corporate partnership cultivation, and community outreach.