Lauren Maillian

Lauren Maillian is a change agent committed to diversity, innovation and inclusion. She brings her unparalleled energy, creativity and problem-solving skills to her role as CEO of digitalundivided, the social startup that leverages data and advocacy to catalyze economic growth and create pathways for Black and Latinx women entrepreneurs.

Lauren is a consumer brand strategist, an award-winning marketer, a chief operating officer, and a technology startup investor and advisor. Lauren was invited by Walmart’s CEO to join the Board of Disruptors, their first-ever Innovation Council. A pioneer in the tech space, Lauren was the first Black woman to start an early-stage venture capital fund, as a founding partner and managing director at Gen Y Capital Partners. She has advised and invested in over 40 startups, which have generated over $200 million in revenue. She serves on the Board of Directors at CoSign and LIQS. She is also the Founder and CEO of LMB Group, a strategic marketing and brand advisory company driving consumer connection and brand innovation for companies including J.P. Morgan Chase, Cover Girl, Brooks Brothers, Bumble and Bumble, and HSN.

Lauren has long been committed to empowering and advocating for women, lending her expertise and sharing her own experience. She serves as an advisor to Pipeline Angels, a social enterprise that trains executive women to become angel investors. She is the founder of Straight Up and Successful, a community and personal and professional development company, and is the Founder and Creator of The Collab, an arts and culture club committed to championing artists of color and diversifying the face of future collectors. She has distilled what she’s learned about entrepreneurship in her best-selling memoir, The Path Redefined: Getting To the Top On Your Own Terms, and she’s shared her passion for innovation as the Master Marketer and co-star of the Oxygen startup-focused docu-series Quit Your Day Job.

Lauren began her entrepreneurial journey at age 19, co-founding a boutique winery, Sugarleaf Vineyards, which quickly became an internationally recognized, award-winning brand. Lauren was the youngest self-made winery owner in the country; she served as Chief Operating Officer from inception through the brand’s acquisition in 2011.

Lauren is a sought-after speaker who has offered thought leadership at Harvard, Columbia, and Cornell Universities; at Fortune 500 companies including Google, Dell, Ernst and Young (EY), Prudential, Ogilvy, L’Oréal, LinkedIn and Bloomberg; and at industry-leading conferences and events such as Social Media Week, ColorComm and AdWeek. Her work has been featured in many national media outlets, including Forbes, Business Insider, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Cosmo, Inc., Jet, CNBC’s Nightly Business Report, MSNBC, and Black Enterprise. She has received numerous awards and accolades for her achievements, including a 2011 Kauffman Foundation Empact100 top 100 entrepreneurs under 30 Award; a nod from Essence as a 2013 “Shot Caller” to watch in business; a Smart CEO Brava Award in 2015; and a spot on Walker’s Legacy’s 2016 WL50Power List, honoring women making strides in the business and philanthropic community.

Lauren serves on the Board of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Advisory Committee on Cultural Engagement. She is Vice-Chair of The Apollo Theater Foundation Young Patrons Steering Committee, a member of New York Urban League’s Development Committee, a founding member of the Young Entrepreneur Council, and a Lifetime Member of the Children’s Aid Society. Lauren is the creator and co-founder of the exclusive art series The Collab, which brings together artists and their supporters to uplift the work of artists of color. In 2014, the New York Urban League’s Young Professionals named Lauren Philanthropist of the Year.

Lauren holds a Bachelor of Science, Magna Cum Laude, in International Trade and Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology. She lives in New York City with her two children and her partner.