Laura Baxter - Simons

​Laura Baxter-Simons is co-founder of Prelude Ventures. Along with her husband, Nat Simons, Laura is the co-founder of Sea Change Foundation (Sea Change), a private family foundation currently dedicated to addressing global climate change. They are also co-directors of Sea Change Foundation International (SCFI). Sea Change and SCFI work nationally and internationally to support private and public policies and foster investments and practices that will reduce the most substantial sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

Laura is General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Meritage Group LP, a U.S.-based investment management firm. Prior to joining Meritage, she was Associate Counsel and a principal at Renaissance Technologies LLC. Laura has a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley in Economics and German, an M.A. from U.C. Berkeley in German Literature and a J.D. from Stanford Law School. Laura currently serves as a member of the U.C. Berkeley, College of Letters and Science Advisory Board and on the Stanford Law School Dean’s Advisory Council.

Laura and Nat have worked together in the financial industry for over twenty years. They are members of the Breakthrough Energy Coalition and the Giving Pledge.