Laura Brief

Laura has worked in the fields of youth development and social impact for over 20 years. In that time, she has developed a practice of designing, scaling, and leading education organizations aimed at leveling the playing field. She has held key leadership positions at some of the nation’s most dynamic organizations in this realm, including BUILD, First Graduate, Juma Ventures, The Posse Foundation, and Youth Speaks, where she served as Board Chair. A former therapist for survivors of trauma, she holds a Master’s in Education and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Columbia University. A graduate of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), where she studied creative writing, Laura has integrated the written word into her work ever since—using poetry in therapy groups, storytelling in youth development programs, and writing as a tool for vision and connection in organizational leadership.

Laura is proud to serve as CEO of 826 National, which supports and expands the 826 Network—the largest youth writing network in the country. Together, the 826 Network reaches more than 730,000 students ages 6–18 each year and advances a vision of a country in which every student has access to the power and joy of writing.