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Lauren Luna-Valdez, MPH-MCP
Online Course Creator Forte Labs
Lauren Luna-Valdez, MPH-MCP is a multifaceted professional with extensive experience in education, public health, and urban planning. She is the Founder of Win a Fulbright, an initiative she started in July 2017 to make the Fulbright Scholarship more accessible to people from diverse backgrounds.1
Professional Background
Lauren is also the Co-Founder of Forte Labs, a position she has held since June 2015. At Forte Labs, she leads corporate, nonprofit, and government agency training and coaching, focusing on helping knowledge workers improve their productivity through proven methods and tools.1
Education
Lauren holds multiple degrees from the University of California, Berkeley:
- Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (2005-2009)
- Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health and Social Behavior (2013-2016)
- Master of City Planning (MCP) in Housing, Community, and Economic Development (2013-2016)1
Notable Achievements
As the Founder of Win a Fulbright, Lauren has created comprehensive online resources for Fulbright Scholarship applicants. Her program has achieved impressive results:
- 80% of course students have been named semi-finalists
- 50% of students have been awarded Fulbright US Student Program Research/Study Awards
- This success rate surpasses that of Harvard University1
Other Professional Experience
Lauren's career also includes roles such as:
- Equity Impact Storyteller at Public Health Alliance of Southern California (April 2020 - April 2021)
- SPARCC Program Officer at Low Income Investment Fund (October 2016 - February 2019)1
Lauren Luna-Valdez is based in Long Beach, California, and has over 500 connections on LinkedIn.1 Her work demonstrates a commitment to education, equity, and empowering individuals to achieve their goals.
Highlights
I had the honor of interviewing Lean Startup Co. CEO & Co-Founder Heather McGough about her career path from nonprofits to entrepreneurship. Heather is an incredible inspiration & model for people looking to bridge various passions and diverse skillsets. She never got an MBA, but instead follows her interests & brings her skills of organizing people, projects, & serving people's needs into every arena.
Heather wanted to be a lawyer & studied criminal justice & psychology. But she wanted community experience before law school so she joined AmeriCorps, which inspired a 7-yr career in nonprofit direct service work. Turns out nonprofits are like startups, which gave her the skill set to succeed as an entrepreneur. https://lnkd.in/gQvQXnv # #leanstartup # #
I've been fighting my fear with my online businesses and performing my art. Creativity triggers fear because the outcome is unknown. Fear lets you know you are challenging yourself. Creating is a human right. It's your self-absorption judging what everyone thinks that is stopping you. Your fear has nothing to do with the personal pleasure of creating something just to create it. Follow your curiosity and don't let fear get in the way. #followyourcuriosity
