Lauren Stark

Lauren Stark has a diverse range of work experience spanning various industries and roles. Lauren started their career as a Youth Advisor at Mt. Sinai Congregation, where they focused on leadership building and community service for NFTY youth groups. From there, they worked as a Domestic Abuse Children's Advocate at The Women's Community, providing support and advocacy for children and mothers affected by domestic abuse.

Lauren then transitioned to the field of human trafficking prevention and assistance, working at the Polaris Project as an NHTRC Call Specialist and later as a Fellow. In these roles, they responded to hotline calls and tips, prepared reports for law enforcement, conducted research on service provision for trafficking victims, and drafted a bill mandating hotline posting.

Afterwards, Lauren gained research experience as a Research Assistant at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), focusing on human trafficking along the Arizona-Mexico border. Lauren collected and analyzed court cases and co-wrote a comprehensive literature review.

Lauren's research skills expanded further during their time at The Center for International Policy Exchanges/Welfare Reform Academy at the University of Maryland, where they served as a Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant for social policy research. Lauren also worked as a Graduate Consultant at the National Governors Association, conducting process evaluations of state efforts in child welfare.

In 2014, Lauren took on the role of UI Associate/Field Interviewer at The Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center, which involved conducting field interviews and data collection.

Lauren then transitioned to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) as a Research Manager, where they managed the Expanded Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network (ECARN), designed and implemented studies and questionnaires on women's health and equity, analyzed multi-site data, and authored articles for peer-reviewed journals.

Most recently, Lauren joined FiftyFlowers.com as Operations Manager, overseeing operations and contributing their expertise in sales as a former Sales Representative.

Throughout their career, Lauren has demonstrated a passion for social issues, research, and advocacy, with a focus on women's health, human trafficking, and child welfare.

Lauren Stark earned a Master's degree in Public Policy from the University of Maryland, where they studied from 2013 to 2015. Prior to that, they completed their Bachelor's degree in Anthropology and English at the University of Minnesota, attending from 2007 to 2011. Additionally, in 2010, Lauren participated in a Study Abroad Program within the liberal arts college at the Universitat d'Alacant.