lauren k collier, phd

Organizational Learning + Strategic alignment

Training and Facilitation

In today’s evolving landscape, traditional consulting models often fall short, technology is overwhelming, and both feel out of reach for nonprofits, government agencies, small businesses, and higher education institutions. Lauren would like to help. She brings jill-of-all-trades experience to bridge data, research, and success metrics with human ways of understanding, connecting, and working. Her approach centers continuous learning, strategic alignment, and human-centered strategies to support future-ready organizations.

  • Lauren initiates each project with a comprehensive research plan to understand not just organizational objectives, but the on-the-ground understandings and behaviors that inform and constrain progress.

  • To move beyond rigid, long-term plans that risk becoming obsolete, Lauren works with teams to build consensus around values, clarify strategic directions, and empower people to align personal ambitions with organizational objectives.

  • Organizational learning depends on fostering a culture of continuous improvement for resilience and adaptability. Lauren partners with organizations to integrate systems to share knowledge, offer and reward learning, and empower employees to innovate.

  • Lauren works with leaders to identify knowledge and skill gaps, assess existing training and professional development options, and develop custom training as needed.  

  • In 2024, the Gallup U.S. Employee Engagement survey reported that 31% of US employees were engaged at work, the lowest level in a decade. Productivity depends on the critical role of human connections in facilitating communication, collaboration, and seamless teamwork. Lauren works with leaders and teams to establish robust channels for dialogue, cultivate an environment where feedback is integral, and calibrate working cadences and technology as a proactive approach to navigating dynamic environments.

  • Change is a process. Lauren’s approach moves beyond one-size-fits all consulting to foster sustainable growth, enhance resilience, and enable organizations to adapt and thrive in any landscape.

In Practice

Scaling Statewide Training

Provide training for a complex change requiring participation from a variety of professional roles and applicable to range of institutional contexts.

Deliver custom professional development via secure platform

  • 10 multimedia microcourses

  • Role -based learning journeys

  • Expert facilitated Community of Practice

  • Expert hosted webinars, workshops, and technical assistance

Seeding Innovation

Experiment with new technologies and methods of engagement in a traditional organization.

Launch an innovation team

  • Create a cross-functional Innovation Team

  • Provide Agile training for team and leadership 

  • Adapt and use a scrum framework

  • Introduce and test new technologies for project management 

  • Implement a Lean Startup approach to testing ideas

Designing Solutions

Create organization change plan for a new highly technical innovation impacting multiple offices and stakeholders.

Develop a Playbook for System Change 

  • Facilitate Design Thinking sessions to gather insights from experts and users

  • Conduct deep research and provide expert analysis

  • Adapt fit-for-purpose organizational change and learning strategies

Bridge-builder.
innovator.
Problem-solver.

“Lauren was a tremendous asset as project manager, bringing both subject matter and administrative expertise to our efforts. Her experience with higher education institutions and in government made her a great match for our needs, earning cooperation from our constituent groups. Lauren’s skill in gathering information, assessing needs, and designing solutions to fill identified gaps demonstrates her aptitude for the full project cycle from conception and design to roll-out and implementation and through evaluation and iteration.”

-Vance
Higher Ed Policy Director, New Jersey