Freeman Means Business

Lauren LaViola started her professional journey in the Journalism world receiving her Bachelor of Science in Communication and Information at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a minor in Business Administration. She had a short stint in the Hospitality Industry before spreading her adventurous and inquisitive wings across the Atlantic. Lauren spent a year abroad in Spain teaching English to students aged 4 to 85 and returned to the US more self-aware and with a whole new outlook on life.

Lauren landed in Chicago where she received her Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management, a Certificate in Executive Leadership, and a Certificate in Meeting and Event Management. In Chicago, she volunteered with numerous nonprofit organizations and it was her volunteer work that brought all of her skills, interests, and experiences full circle.

Lauren was the Executive Director of a national nonprofit called Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE) for 8 years and was honored to be the recipient of the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award. After growing CORE to the charity it is today, Lauren left the organization in the Fall of 2019 to follow her passion of empowering the next generation of women in her role as the COO of Rock The Street, Wall Street, a financial literacy program designed to inspire high school girls to pursue careers in finance.

As Lauren says, “The nonprofit world is where my passion presented itself loud and clear and now my career happens to be one of my favorite pastimes— helping others.”