Lauren Palumbo, MPA, is a seasoned social impact leader with more than 20 years of experience advancing systems that serve children and families. As Deputy Director of Operations at A Better Childhood, she brings deep expertise in organizational leadership, operational strategy, and child welfare reform, with a career focused on improving outcomes for youth navigating foster care, experiencing homelessness, behavioral health systems, and the justice system.

Lauren has a strong track record of building and scaling mission-driven organizations. As Founder and Lead Consultant for Third Sight Strategies, she helped nonprofits strengthen infrastructure, expand capacity, and secure over $20 million in philanthropic and institutional funding. Her leadership spans managing multimillion-dollar budgets, leading large interdisciplinary teams, and designing systems that align strategy, people, and operations for measurable impact.

Her prior experience includes senior leadership roles across nonprofit and consulting environments, where she has guided organizations through growth, transition, and complex operational challenges. She has worked both nationally and internationally to strengthen programs, build sustainable funding strategies, and support systems-level change benefiting vulnerable children and families. Earlier in her career, she worked directly within New York City’s foster care system and juvenile detention facilities, grounding her leadership in frontline experience.

Lauren is recognized for her ability to bridge strategy and execution, strengthen cross-sector partnerships, and drive equity-centered systems change. She holds a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Northeastern University.