mission ]
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[gather] is a 501c3 non-profit that cultivates community among women and empowers the next generation of women leaders, to close the gap between men and women in leadership.
CHECK OUT ALL THAT WE HAVE DONE IN 2024 + OUR VISION FOR 2025
the values
01 — 03
being our true selves, bringing honesty to conversations, discovering more about who we are and what we love – we seek to be a group of women who are truthful, genuine, and vulnerable in all that we do, and create spaces safe enough to share what we are walking though.
empowerment
02 — 03
we seek to combat loneliness and isolation, to create groups of women all over the world who champion one another, and we believe that honest relationships help us grow and deepen our understanding of the world.
authenticity
03 — 03
we want to provide resources, training, and support for women to feel empowered to take on issues around them, to walk in their calling and live out their dreams. We also want women to be empowered to cultivate community wherever they are.
community
we make it easy for women [mostly in their early to mid-careers, when strong, female friendships can be hard to find] to create community wherever they are — we write the questions and content for seasonal events (a few in the spring, one in the summer, a few in the fall). we market the events. we create platforms for women to tell their stories, and learn from other women. we train and support the women leaders as they build community in their city / area .
2017 — 2022
the history
In 2017, [gather] was founded almost accidentally. After moving to New York City and continually meeting women who were longing for community—and for a safe space to talk honestly about the unique challenges women face—Lauren and a small group of friends decided to build the thing they couldn’t find. They invited a handful of women to an evening centered around intentional conversation, vulnerability, and connection. That night, nearly thirty women showed up—hungry for belonging, ready to dive in—and [gather] was born.
Since then, [gather] has hosted more than sixty events across the United States and abroad. The team has developed and produced over fifteen original conversation series, each one designed as a deep, thoughtful exploration of topics that spark honesty, healing, and meaningful relationships. The Girls Who Gather Podcast has completed three full seasons with over thirty interviews featuring leaders and creatives from around the world. Four fully established teams now operate across the U.S., with more locations in development, and [gather]’s content reaches women globally every day.
Over the years, [gather] has also collaborated with an array of organizations—including Outdoor Voices, Amazon, Bloom, Olive & June, Summer Fridays and more—launched campaigns around pressing justice issues, and cultivated an engaged community of more than a thousand women daily.
A note on belief:
[gather] was founded by a group of women who met through a campus ministry and shared a passion for creating spaces where women truly belong. Though the organization is secular, it is rooted in the belief that we were created for community and purpose. From the very beginning, the team noticed that there were few places where women from different faith backgrounds could come together for real, vulnerable, organic conversation—so they set out to create one.
Today, while many of our team members identify as Christian and our themes often draw subtle inspiration from scripture, [gather] remains intentionally open to women of every background, belief, and story. Our events are designed to be a home for anyone seeking connection, friendship, and purpose.
the team
Lauren Franco
Founder / Executive Director
Lauren Franco is the founder and Executive Director of [gather], a nonprofit dedicated to fostering leadership and connection through hospitality and shared experiences. Building this community alongside her best friends has been one of her greatest joys.
Based in New York City and Southern California, Lauren is a storyteller, producer, and community builder passionate about crafting narratives that move and inspire. A graduate of NYU, she designed her own major at the intersection of Media, Entertainment, and Public Policy.
Noelle Boyd
Content Advisor
Noelle has walked out her [gather] journey with us from the very beginning, as Content Director - overseeing our vision, values, mission and heart's ideation and development through our different content platforms. In addition to her work with us, Noelle is a MAIR candidate at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, holding a BA in Anthropology with a minor in Global Public Health from New York University. in pursuit of her degree, she is an aspiring policy practitioner in the international relations field, with a passion for leadership, non-profit development, government relations and advocacy, social science research, and dialogue facilitation.
Elena Curry
Marketing Director
Elena is our Marketing Director at [gather] where she gets to combine her love for content curation, design and community. She joined [gather] in 2023 right after her first time attending a [gather] event. She studied business administration with a focus in Marketing, and currently runs her own social media marketing agency. Elena loves getting to explore her creativity and passions with [gather], all while building community, and most importantly making new girls feel at home at [gather].
Betty Wu
Creative Director
Betty is the Creative Director at [gather], and she is dedicated to visually communicate and champion [gather]’s heart for community. she is one of the founding members of the team, and had the privilege to see it grow from a college dorm meeting to an organization with an international presence. Betty is currently a law student and a portrait photographer in New York City. she enjoys finding and capturing beauty in objects, places, and people around her.
Antonia Baskakov
Development Advisor
Antonia works in policy & project management at the ONE Campaign, an international NGO fighting extreme poverty. prior to joining ONE, she was the Strategic Advisor to the Executive Director of the Center for Feminist Foreign Policy, and has worked in a variety of human rights-related fields, including legal research with a focus on genocide prevention at Berkeley Law School and Stanford Law School. she is also the Europe Youth Envoy for the United Nations ITU and a regular contributor to different news outlets, writing about various issues from a feminist perspective.
Leslie Ivery
Partnerships Manager
Leslie is a creative producer who loves transforming ideas into experiences that feel meaningful, memorable, and beautiful. She has a BA in Entertainment Management from Baruch College and a MA in Acting for Screen from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, UK. With over a decade in arts, entertainment, and events, she's managed everything from Off-Broadway theater to styled dinner parties - bringing concepts to life with equal parts precision, artistry, and always a splash of champagne!
Lucero Flores
Community & Events Director + DC Lead
Lucero is the Events and Community Director and DC Location Leader for [gather]. Lucero has a heart for empowering women in every area of ife. She started with [gather] in 2021 during her graduate program with The George Washington University where she focused on U.S. foreign policy and human security. She currently works at the Atlantic Council, a foreign policy think tank in Washington, DCm where she focuses on producing U.S. and global events. Lucero enjoys visiting new coffee shops in DC, fitness, reading, and spending time outdoors with her two Shih Tzu's, Louie and Bella.
Yen Cho
Brand and Outreach Coordinator
Yen serves as the Brand Strategy Coordinator at [gather]. she is from Northern Virginia (though, originally from Virginia Beach), and her journey with [gather] started at the end of 2020 when she stumbled upon [gather]’s Instagram. her belief in the power and value of cultivating authentic community through honest conversation in an ever-growing disconnected world is what continues to move her heart for [gather] since attending her first [gather] event online. apart from pursuing a professional career in healthcare and contributing to [gather], you can find Yen knitting her own clothes or reading a book while eating Trader Joe’s honey greek yogurt and chocolate granola.
Jordyn Lemons
Los Angeles, CA Location Leader
Jordyn is the Los Angeles Location Leader at [gather] and has a heart for conversational depth and friendships. she works in Santa Monica at a major tech firm selling cloud. Outside of work, she spends time reading rom-coms and thrillers, frequenting farmers markets, and finding the best go-to spots in LA.
the advisory board
Denver, CO Location Leader
Jordanne Hamilton
Creative Team Lead
Jordanne is a member of our Creative and Social Media teams at [gather] working as a photographer, videographer, and social media strategist. Jordanne began working with [gather] in 2020 in the OC and LA areas when she too was searching for community after graduating college. she studied Music & Philosophy and has a passion for connecting with and serving others through her creative endeavors. whilst pursuing a career as an independent musician and freelance photographer, the community at [gather] is vital for her wellbeing. in her spare time, you can find her surfing the SoCal beaches, running trails, or wandering the halls of an art museum.
the location leadership
Claire Gerdes
Development Coordinator
Claire is a member of the Development Team for [gather] and is passionate about building community, empowering women, and encouraging them to realize how capable they are. She grew up outside Boston and went to school at Northeastern University where she studied Business and Economics, and she now works in New York City in the world of finance. Outside of work, you'll find her journaling at coffee shops, boxing, taking walks with friends, and popping in and out of local shops in the city.
Ha-young Kwon
Organization/Community Advisor
Ha-Young has a heart for community in all areas of her life. she started with [gather] in 2019 during her time at New York University where she studied Media, Culture, and Communication. in her spare time, Ha-Young enjoys brewing specialty coffee and attending live concerts in her home town of Cambridge, MA, where she lives with her cat, Puma.
Laura White
Financial Advisor
Laura is a board member and Financial Advisor at [gather] and is passionate about building women up to be leaders in their fields. she started with [gather] in 2018 during her time at New York University where she studied Business and Political Economy and she now works in finance full time in NYC. on her spare time, Laura enjoys listening to audiobooks, skiing, and surfing. she lives in Brooklyn NY with her husband and her labradoodle puppy named Xochi.
Caroline Aren
Special Events Coordinator
Caroline Aren is a passionate event producer and designer. She discovered [gather] in 2022, and was moved by the vulnerability and open-heartedness of its community. After meeting multiple new friends at events, she was inspired to put her passion for event planning to use for [gather]'s mission. She hopes to encourage community through thoughtfully-curated spaces and hospitality. She is a passionate writer, performer, and women's health advocate. Recently married, she loves going to the beach with her husband, cooking, and maxing out her library card.
Jenna Barrett
Marketing Advisor
Jenna is the Brand/Marketing Director at [gather], combining her passions of hospitality & brand strategy. she joined in 2018 as a location lead in High Point, North Carolina, where she hosted monthly [gather]ings in her campus home between studying for her bachelor’s & master’s degrees. After graduation, Jenna shifted roles to lead marketing efforts at [gather] as she pursued a career in brand strategy. she lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, and you’ll often find them exploring small towns & vineyards in their spare time.
Madison Simon
Finance + Development Manager
She has spent the past eight years working with software startups and nonprofit founders in revenue-focused roles. Her favorite part of operating in a startup or entrepreneurial environment is the opportunity to build and solve meaningful problems alongside bold, compassionate leaders. There’s nothing more energizing to her than teaming up with people who think differently, move fast, and build with heart. She believes that being genuine and deliberate in business relationships is essential.
Outside of work, you’ll find her scuba diving, sailing, painting, watching F1 races, or deep in conversation with friends.
Sara Thomas
Nashville Location Leader
Sara Thomas serves as the Executive Team Assistant doing what she loves the most - encouraging, energizing, and equipping others. Sara joined in 2023 drawn to [gather]’s mission of community building, a foundation she knows personally and professionally. Originally from Kodiak, Alaska, she now calls Nashville home and works in nonprofit fundraising. Off the clock, she’s exploring her new city, making her way through her Goodreads list, and is trying to keep her houseplants alive.
Echo Chen
Creative Advisor
Echo is the Creative Advisor of [gather] where she gets to combine her love for people and creative play. she joined in 2018 as Creative Director in New York City, and shifted to an advisory role after graduating from NYU. most days you’ll find her taking photos, drawing little worlds, or running around the city with her favorite people
Maggie Hudson
Osaka, Japan Location Leader
Born and raised in SOCAL, Maggie Rose never saw herself living outside sunny California. But she recently took a leap of faith to pursue her dream job as a stunt performer in the land of the rising sun, Japan. Her heart is in the arts and her soul craves deep connection (even if there’s a language barrier). Gather has always offered her peace, direction, and wisdom throughout the unpredictable changes, twists, and turns her journey has taken her on and she yearns to share that gift with the “Genki” girls of Osaka.
Alyssa Seigel
Content Director
As a lifelong writer with a passion for resonating with others through language, Alyssa’s role as [gather]’s Content Director is a natural fit. Beyond shaping each season’s theme and conversation conduits, Alyssa is a communications specialist in the industrial real estate sector and has also worked as a scriptwriter and content producer for several large YouTube personalities. Outside of work, you can find her dancing (latin, swing or country), drawing or listening to her favorite political podcasts.
Erica Kadi
Erica is the Location Leader for [gather] in Denver and loves finding the spark of joy in others. Her heart is filled with an energetic spirit to encourage, connect and serve those to become the best version of themselves. She competed her undergrad and graduate degree at Texas A&M University and works at a major consulting company focusing on healthcare. Outside of work you'll find her enjoying long walks at Wash Park, volunteering or finding the next book to read at the library!
join our team
learn more about how you can partner with us or how to start a [gather] location in your city