Meet Laura.

Co-founder and principal of the Intrinsic Group, Laura teaches as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social
Work and an Adjunct Instructor at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. Laura is also the Executive Director of the Small & Gutsy® nonprofit organization.

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My Qualifications

Feel confidant in knowing that I'm the right choice for your organization

Experienced and Practiced

In addition to being the co-founder and principal of the Intrinsic Group, Laura teaches as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and an Adjunct Instructor at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. She consults with organizations and presents at business conferences in the areas of strategic thinking, creative problem solving, change management, mentorship and culture.

Qualified and Certified

Laura received her doctorate from the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, her master’s degree in Social Work from Boston University, and a post-graduate fellowship in Organization Development from the Boston Institute for Psychotherapy. She is also certified to administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

Community Oriented

Laura serves as Co-chair of the UCLA Stroke Rescue Council of Advocates, as a member of the UCLA Health System Board and as a member of the Go North West Task Force and the Media and Content Advisory Committee for the Jewish National Fund.

Small & Gutsy

Small & Gutsy began as a passion project of The Intrinsic Group and has iterated into its own nonprofit organization to continue this effort of raising the visibility of these smaller organizations. Join us in this effort!

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Small & Gutsy, BIG little Social Impact Sector podcast

Who I am

a little about me

As a little kid, I wanted everyone to matter and I didn’t understand why life was not always fair for so many; I grew up privileged compared to others. I certainly had my share of knocks and struggles but they paled in comparison to those who may not have been given the opportunities I had. I’ve always been interested in helping others, I am a social worker by training with a love of history and innovation and saw my role as an advocate for change; I am deeply curious about others, and love applying that curiosity to how organizations work, not just their processes, but their humanness – what makes them organizations vs. just bricks and mortar or virtual spaces? What breathes life into those literal and figurative walls? I am passionate about seeing beyond the surface, to that deeper place of vulnerability that makes us human, not just the exchange of language but other forms of communication that can either keep people stuck or move them to more productive interactions and therefore, better outcomes. People count; human capital is everything; it’s what makes the structure and processes work so that a product or service becomes a flexible reality that can adapt to change. I spent 25 years in the Boston area and time overseas and now live in Los Angeles with my wonderful husband, Mark, two adorable dogs, Max and Molly and we are visited frequently by our creative, interesting adult children Sonja, Michael, Jared, Tyler and Nick, our shared source of pride.

Hear what others had to say

Working with Laura is a joy. She is so vibrant and full of ideas. Her passion for her work shows not only through her words and gestures, but through her eyes. Having experienced watching her work with clients and coworkers, when her eyes and face light up, so do those of everyone around her. Laura is committed to her work and helping others achieve success. Anyone who has had the opportunity of working with her or will in the future is lucky to have crossed her path.
Laura brings invaluable real-life work experience, with a brilliant consultative approach to every single class. Her contagious and positive energy always lit up our learning enviornment and encouraged creativity in the entire learning process.
I believe in the ability of our department to improve lives and increase equity broadly across the larger community. I also genuinely like and admire all of the individuals in our department. Thank you for providing space to discuss and think about issues. We have not done that for some time.