Laura Lauder

Lauder Capital
Laura and her husband, Gary, joined forces in 1992 to form Lauder Partners, a venture capital firm specializing in Internet and cable-related investments. Laura also focuses her efforts on strategic grantmaking through the Laura and Gary Lauder Family Venture Philanthropy Fund and in leadership roles at local and national nonprofit organizations.

Laura co-founded an international expansion of Jewish Teen Foundation boards, called the Foundation Board Incubator, and is the founder of DeLeT: Day School Teaching through Leadership, a national Jewish Teach for America program modeled on her experience as a fellow in the Wexner Heritage Foundation. 

Laura is active in leadership roles at The Aspen Institute. Laura and Gary co-founded the Aspen Institute’s Socrates Program, Laura serves on the Institute's board of directors, and on the board of its Service Year Alliance program (formerly the Franklin Project). She is Chair of the $1.8 billion Jewish Community Endowment Fund of San Francisco and serves on the boards of the National Constitution Center, Jim Joseph Foundation Bernard Osher Foundation, and the Ronald Lauder Foundation. She formerly served on the boards of National Public Radio Foundation, Spark Networks - a NYSE Amex Company and parent of JDate, SV2 (Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund), and on the Leadership Council of the New Schools Venture Fund. 

Laura was named one of “10 Women to Watch” by Jewish Woman International and has won several awards, including Volunteer of the Year, the Jim Brooks Achievement Award, and the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Young Leadership Award from the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.

Laura is an avid cyclist and won a bronze medal in the Maccabi Games in Israel in cycling time trial in 2009. While she is a political junkie, she hopes to never run for political office, but is willing to climb any mountain on a bike. She and her husband, Gary, are empty-nesters while their son and daughter attend college.