HELLO
Lauren Waude
She/Her
Meet the Leader
Lauren is a lifelong Pacific Northwesterner working in philanthropy in Portland, Oregon. She brings extensive experience in housing justice, community-centered programming, and board leadership in arts and advocacy nonprofits. When she's not working, she loves to explore the outdoors with her partner and toddler.
Restorative Leadership Interview Questions:
Question 1: What helps you stay creatively courageous when the world feels threatened/like it’s on fire?
When the world feels like it is on fire, I feel grounded by community care. Both care that I have received and given- it is so clear to me that communities care is one of the most powerful, progressive, creative, enduring and caring forces of nature and I know it is what truly takes care of us all not broken systems. I feel inspired by the way that our communities continue to adapt to respond to everything the broken systems throw at us.
Question 2: Describe a time when your imagination helped you move from fear into action.
In our current work at the Collins Foundation, we are making a radical step towards relationship-centered grantmaking and prioritizing community over the needs of a philanthropic organization. It is scary to be a part of creating something that is completely new to you and completely different from your peers and there are many time along that way that you question yourself, your team and the whole vision. The Liberatory Design Framework and mindsets have been such a powerful foundation and encouragement to move away from perfectionism and step towards creativity and also to know that there will be bumps along the way, but to have the trust that there will also be opportunities, to learn, reflect and iterate.
Question 3: What does growth and holding space look like for you after a loss or rupture?
Space for grounding and reflection are vitally important to me when healing. So often we are in a state of just surviving, it is so easy (and even sometimes necessary) to just keep moving forward without time to reflect but I’ve learned that giving myself time to feel and name and reflect on a loss allows me to move alongside my grief, to honor it and learn from it instead of pushing it down or ignoring it.
Question 4: How do you protect space for imagination in your team or community?
Making and prioritizing time for joy and celebration is crucial to fostering my creativity. Remembering to celebrate the wins, no matter how big or small, pulls me out of the grind and reminds me that there is always possibility. It's like hitting a reset button that brings back the playfulness and curiosity- even the messy experiments and imperfect attempts keeps the energy alive to keep trying new things.
Question 5: What rituals or practices help you (and/or your team/community) name what hurts while still holding on to what’s possible?
When I think about getting through tough times, I lean on "Gaman" - this Japanese concept about enduring with patience, dignity, and inner strength. It connects me to my ancestors who looked out for each other during forced incarceration, who somehow managed to rebuild community and care systems even behind bars. Their perseverance lives in me, and I feel this deep pull to honor everything they sacrificed to get me here. Gaman isn't just about surviving the hard stuff - it's about holding space for both the hurt and the possibility at the same time. My ancestors knew how to acknowledge the pain while still dreaming of what could be, and that's the kind of resilience I try to carry forward.