Lauren Sanchez Gilbert, Ed.D.

Chief Executive Officer, BellXcel

Lauren’s innovative idea to create SCRI provides affordable access for youth service providers who would otherwise not be able to partner with sector experts.

As an affiliate, SCRI seeks to achieve BellXcel’s strategic objective to build the capacity of practitioners serving youth, so that all children have opportunities to excel.

Lauren joined BellXcel in 2011 and served in several leadership roles prior to being named CEO in 2017, including Vice President of Program Impact, President and Chief Strategy Officer.

Lauren is leading the organization in an ambitious strategic transformation focused on changing the way its partners empower educators, build sustainable high-quality practices and outcomes, and reach exponentially more children and their families.  Most significantly, Lauren is overseeing the creation of bold, innovative solutions that will further revolutionize the youth development sector as first to market, all-in-one SaaS products for youth leaders and school administrators to scale and power their programs anytime, anywhere.

Lauren’s ongoing commitment to bring the power of practitioner work and deep research together to build field capacity fueled the launch the Sperling Center for Research and Innovation, an independent BellXcel affiliate designed to bridge the research to practice to policy gap in the education field.

Lauren began her career as a special education teacher in her native New Mexico and later served as an Assistant Superintendent in Massachusetts. She holds a Bachelor Degree from the University of New Mexico in Special Education and earned a Doctorate in Education from Boston College.

Lauren has attended the highly-selective nonprofit leadership program at Harvard University, and was named a Results for America Nonprofit Fellow in 2016. She serves as a member of The Bridgespan Group’s Knowledge Advisory Board, a diverse group of recognized leaders committed to accelerating impact in the social sector and deepening the relevance and influence of insights and tools.

Lauren also serves as a board member for Roca, a community-based organization determined to be a relentless force in disrupting incarceration, poverty and racism by engaging young adults, police and systems at the center of urban violence to address trauma, find hope and drive change.

Lauren is the proud mother of an active and beautiful teenaged daughter.

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BellXcel Board of Directors

BellXcel is governed by a Board of Directors who provide oversight, leadership, and counsel to meet the organization’s strategic priorities.

Laura Samberg

Chair, Executive Director, Samberg Family Foundation

Paula Arrojo

Vice Chair, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs & Co.

Laura Glick

Chief Investment Officer, Spencer Foundation

Laura Grattan

Managing Director - Crosspoint Capital Partners

Tony Jordan

Partner and Americas Forensic & Integrity Services Leader, EY Boston

Allyson Kim

Owner, AK Consulting

George Neble

Managing Partner, Ernst & Young (retired)

Paul Reville

Francis Keppel Professor of Practice of Educational Policy and Administration, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Garrett Smith

Deputy Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Boston

David Zilberman

General Partner, Norwest Ventures Partners

Lauren Sanchez Gilbert

Chief Executive Officer, BellXcel

Research and Evaluation Advisory Board

SCRI’s strong network of experts in youth development and education guides our innovative work. In addition to providing specific expertise on engagements, our Research and Evaluation Advisory Board shapes our most pressing questions, as well as our methods to answer them.

Laurie Browne

Senior Director of Research and Education, American Camp Association

Duncan Chaplin

Senior Researcher, Mathematica Policy Research

Allyson Kim

BellXcel Board of Directors

Jennifer Brown Lerner

Deputy Director, Aspen Institute Sport and Society Program

Tanji Reed Marshall

Director of P-12 Practice, The Education Trust

Jenn McCombs

Adjunct Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation

Deb Moroney

Managing Director, American Institutes for Research

Betsy Starr

Research Associate, National Institute for Out-of-School Time

Nikki Yamashiro

Director of Research, Afterschool Alliance

Tapping into BellXcel’s Legacy

Laurene Sperling served on BellXcel’s Board of Directors for 14 years, almost all as Chair. She continues to be a friend, supporter, thought leader, and strategic partner.

Laurene’s leadership helped to directly build the organization’s capacity and deepen its philanthropic reach. SCRI commemorates her profound impact on BellXcel and continued commitment to youth education.

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