Jennifer Laurie
They/She
"Leadership isn't neutral - it either creates harm or fosters real support. The best leaders understand that workplaces exist at the intersection of identity, power, and systems, and they choose to build structures that care for people, not just extract from them."
Resilience
My first step when things feel overwhelming is checking in with my body—what do I actually need right now? Sometimes it’s movement (a walk in one of my go-to tools) and other times it’s connecting with people I trust who share my values and can help me process. So much of resilience is learning how to check in with yourself, be honest about your needs, and then actually prioritize them. Everyone’s reset looks different, and it can change over time, so I encourage people to pay attention to what truly helps them feel grounded and make space for that.
Purpose-Driven
I once turned down a partnership because their approach to people didn’t sit right with me. On paper, it seemed like a great fit, but when I dug deeper, it was clear their values didn’t align with mine, especially around equity and people-first decision making. It wasn’t an easy call, but I’ve learned that when something feels off, it usually is, and compromising on my values never leads to the kind of impact I want to have. It also sparked some great conversations with my team about how easy it is to talk about values but how much harder (and more important) it is to actually stand by them when there’s something at stake.
Developmental Leadership
I love mentoring early-career HR professionals and helping them build confidence in aligning their work with their values. Traditional HR training often prioritizes compliance over care, but I want people to know they can be both strategic and people-centered. Recently, I worked with someone navigating leadership pressures while staying true to their ethics, and we focused on the power they did have to advocate for change. Watching them step into their voice and push for more equitable practices reminded me that developing others isn’t about giving answers—it’s about helping them trust their own.
Intersectionality
As a white person socialized as a woman, I’ve had to confront how whiteness, especially white womanhood, operates in systems of power. At the same time, my queerness and nonbinary identity have put me at odds with the expectations and privileges that come with being seen as a white woman. That tension has pushed me to unlearn the patterns of white womanhood that prioritize comfort over justice, fragility over accountability, and control over collective care. It has also made me more aware of how power moves in a room and how I can choose to either uphold or disrupt harmful dynamics, especially when supporting those whose identities are marginalized in ways mine aren’t.
Future Facing Legacy
I hope my impact is felt in the ways workplaces become more equitable, not just in policy but in culture and daily practice. I want to be known for creating space and safety for historically marginalized people, making it clear that work doesn’t have to be harmful or extractive. If my influence means more leaders are questioning the status quo, embedding equity into their decisions, and building workplaces where people can show up fully as themselves, then I’ve done what I set out to do. My hope is that this work continues to ripple outward, making equity the expectation, not the exception.