The 1828 Project is one of our signature programs at IndyHub and each year it’s full of incredible leaders between the ages of 18 and 28. Lauren is a part of 1828’s Class VI. We sent her some questions. She responded. Keep reading to learn more about Lauren!
How do you spend your days?
Making things happen, hopefully. I spend my days working to strengthen civic partnerships and leverage Indianapolis Motor Speedway events to shine a light on the entire city and its amazing civic and cultural institutions. We partner with local orgs (like IndyHub) on projects and programs that connect the race to the cultural fabric of the city. Outside of my dream job, I also find myself collaborating with good people whenever and however I can. I try to choose projects based on one of my favorite quotes from Amy Poehler: “Do work that you’re proud of with your talented friends.” Most recently that has led me to working with the Fountain Square Music Festival and serving as an advisor to the Children’s Museum Board.
Where are you originally from?
Indy. Besides four years in South Bend and a semester in London, I’ve never lived outside of the 465 loop. I’ve been in the North Indy / Broad Ripple area my whole life, but I’ll be venturing down to Fountain Square very soon.
What are some of your favorite Indy spots?
IMS on a quiet, rainy day. The Indianapolis Zoo on a bright, sunny day. Central Library any day. And the staff at Ezra’s in Broad Ripple probably sees a bit too much of me during an average week, too.
How do you typically travel around Indy?
I drive more than I’d like, but I try to park strategically so I can walk as much as I can throughout the day between meetings. I cannot be trusted on a bike.
If you could have coffee with anyone, living or not, who would it be? (Bonus points for which Indy coffee joint you’d take them to!)
I would take CS Lewis to Thirsty Scholar.
Thinking forward to the next 5 years in Indy, what are you most excited about for the future?
I’m looking forward to the evolution of the River West neighborhood – and especially excited about the potential of the B&O bike trail to increase connectivity from the heartbeat of Downtown Indy to IMS and the Town of Speedway.
If you won the lottery, what would you do with your winnings?
I love seeing people doing what they’re made to do. The world needs more of that. So I’d probably invest all of my winnings in funding our city’s talented artists and entrepreneurs to keep doing what they do well… in Indy, of course.
Are you reading anything interesting right now, what book?
In the past year I’ve read both Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull and Garden City by John Mark Comer twice each. The first because it combines two of my favorite topics: Disney and organizational leadership. The second because it helps me think about the total composition of my life and how I’m stewarding my time and energy in each area – work, civic, personal, etc. [Editor’s note: Garden City is just .99 on Amazon for Kindle right now! I may or may not have just purchased it.]
What is your favorite family tradition?
We have lots of family traditions throughout the year, especially around Christmas and the Month of May, but I’m most excited that we’ve recently started making a point to gather for Sunday dinners again. Many of our sweetest memories as a family have been on the road (mostly for IndyCar racing)… but there’s something so grounding about being at home around a dinner table together.
