Our guest today, and our very first one ever, is the root and heartbeat of [gather] itself - our very own Executive Director and Founder, Ms. Lauren Franco. She is a New York University graduate - having studied Human Rights, Public Policy, and Media and Communication. She’s worked in numerous human rights organizations, traveled across the world to work in anti-human-trafficking, with refugees, and other areas of justice, and most recently has started working at the US Department of Justice. [gather] was the seed that Lauren was intent on sowing into the soil of her time in New York City, always envisioning a space of welcome and authentic woman to woman connection. Now, [gather] has grown into a full-fledged non-profit organization, spanning six locations (and counting) across the country, and in this episode we talk about how it all began, how Lauren learned to build a team, and what the challenges and triumphs have been along the way. We are so glad to have the opportunity to have her showcase her story and journey, connecting with our listeners and memorializing the [gather] origin story for years to come.\\ Follow what she's up to on instagram: @laurenfranco_ and www.whatsthelodown.com \\ Episode hosted by Noelle Boyd, Music by Hannah Pendergast.
