Lauren E. McGowan

Principal & Founder

LaurenEMcGowan@Gmail.com | @LaurenMcGowan

My personal and professional experiences have helped shape a relentless drive to fight poverty and a fierce commitment to equity and justice. Throughout my career I have increased access to housing, food, education, and income by leveraging the power and potential of philanthropic, community, and government resources. The health and economic impacts of COVID-19 and our national reckoning with the history of racism that keeps too many BIPOC communities in poverty, require us to accelerate efforts to create a more just and equitable society.

In 2023 I joined LISC as their Puget Sound Executive Director. Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), is a national nonprofit that provides financing and support for community development around the country. As one of over 30 local offices, LISC Puget Sound works with local government, community development corporations and other nonprofits to revitalize neighborhoods and catalyze opportunity.

I am also the Principal and Founder of Revolution Strategies, a boutique consulting firm that advances equitable solutions to end poverty. I also spent 17 years with United Way of King County designing initiatives to increase access to housing, food, higher education, and income for 35,000 people annually by leveraging the power and potential of philanthropic, community, and government resources. In response to the pandemic, I raised more than $100M in public and private funds to help neighbors have access to food and housing.

I want to dream big with people like you to dismantle unjust and racist systems, policies and practices. I hope to leverage my experience designing innovative poverty reduction programs, implementing high-impact grant making efforts, leading cross-functional teams, and developing successful public-private partnerships.

I believe that homelessness and poverty are policy choices that could be eradicated with investments and interventions at the scale of the problems. I am passionate about making government programs more effective, modernizing our SafetyNet, ensuring college students have access to basic needs, leveraging National Service, and strengthening our democracy.

On a personal note, I live in Seattle, WA with my amazing partner Mike in a tiny apartment filled with books, records, and a few plants that Mike takes care of. I love travel, politics, theater, red wine, and endless laughs with good friends. My super powers include sleeping on planes and finding incredible airbnb’s. I grew up in West Haven, the Best Haven, CT and believe New Haven pizza is the best of the best. I look forward to partnering with you to advance equitable solutions to poverty. ~Lauren