Lauren Bender

Lauren Bender currently serves as the Chief of Staff at Odyssey, a venture-backed company focused on redefining education in the U.S. through innovative school choice programs. Prior to Odyssey, Lauren was involved in early-stage venture investing at Springbank and held roles at Apollo Global Management Inc., where responsibilities included strategic advisory and operational oversight for the firm's Co-Founder. Experience also includes key positions at HRS Management, Force Management, and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, where Lauren directed high-level communications and managed significant M&A transactions. Lauren holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA, Magna Cum Laude, in Political Science and English Literature from Colgate University.