Lauren Gilchrist

Lauren is passionate about building products that solve real-world problems and that people actually use. As Director of Pivotal Labs in Washington DC, she helps federal agencies, Fortune 500 organizations, and startups transform the way they build software. Recent clients include the EPA, IRS, Department of Homeland Security, Lockheed Martin, and NBC Universal.

Prior to Pivotal, Lauren ran product teams at several New York startups, including MamasLatinas, Yipit, and Urgent Career. She believes that diverse teams build better products, and co-founded Hack’n Jill, which organized hackathons with balanced male/female teams and inclusive professional development workshops.

Lauren’s hands-on experience working on numerous products, leading multiple diverse teams, and consulting with countless clients makes her a sought-after speaker, mentor, and advisor. She feels most rewarded when she has the opportunity to teach teams how to think like scientists, rather than experts, by objectively validating their assumptions.

Lauren lives in Washington DC where she enjoys running relay races, rock climbing, and cooking for friends.

You can find Lauren on Twitter at @lgilchrist.