Lauren Sorkin of the Global Resilient Cities Network shares lessons from the frontlines to show what resilience means beyond cities for all our organizations -- including joining environment and community, uniting strengths and weaknesses, not having all the answers, convening and creating spaces, looking across functions and across time.
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THE IMPACT. Lauren Sorkin:
- Is Acting Executive Director of the Global Resilient Cities Network, supporting cities and their Chief Resilience Officers in the face of complex challenges, where she has built upon the legacy of the 100 Resilient Cities Program
- Leads a speaker series, Cities on the Frontlines, sharing knowledge for city responses to the COVID-19 crisis
- Worked with the Asian Development Bank to develop its first climate change investment plan
- Led knowledge management for two USAID programs: the Eco-Asia Clean Devt and Climate, and the Initiative for Conservation in the Andean Amazon
- Worked with the Worldwatch Institute on their State of the World series and published work on biofuels, climate change, infant mortality and HIV/AIDS
- Holds a BA in International Relations from Tufts, and a MS in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics
- Is a trained yoga instructor and health counselor
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Integrating early influences: a family focus on community and a passion for the environment
- The challenge of building coalitions to solve complex challenges: there’s no such thing as the smartest person in the room
- Chief resilience officers: investing in people who see holistic strengths and weaknesses
- The value of resilience in a city: a cross-functional view, a senior ability to convene, and a medium term view removed from politics
