Lauren Kaufman’s passion is to empower teachers to lead and develop lifelong-literacy practices in all learners. She’s a director of literacy K-12 in Long Island, NY, has served as an assistant principal, classroom teacher, elementary and middle school literacy specialist, instructional coach, and mentor coordinator K-12. Lauren has led teams developing a comprehensive approach to literacy, provided job-embedded professional development, and leads with a coaching mindset. Lauren is the author of her upcoming book The Leader Inside: Stories of Mentorship to Inspire the Leader Within, releasing in the summer of 2024. She is passionate about sharing her learning on her own blog, through podcasts, and is a guest blogger for The Teach Better Team, Future Ready Schools and Defined. Lauren is also a contributing author in various educational journals, Edutopia, George Couros' #BecauseOfATeacher and Lainie Rowell’s #EvolvingWithGratitude. She wholeheartedly believes in the importance of developing powerful professional learning communities and networks that foster meaningful, relevant learning and growth.