Lauren Baker, the former first lady of Massachusetts and the current CEO of Wonderfund, will be the keynote speaker at a luncheon hosted by the North Shore Chamber of Commerce’s Thrive initiative on Wednesday, Jan. 31 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Blue Ocean Event Center in Salisbury.
As a longtime Wonderfund volunteer and founding member of its board, Baker took over the role of CEO in September. She was able to pursue a full-time role with Wonderfund after her duties as first lady ended.
Wonderfund is a private nonprofit that serves the 43,000 children engaged with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF). Through a partnership with DCF, the organization provides resources and emergency aid, and funds enrichment opportunities for the children, such as sports, extracurricular activities, or camps.
Baker first became involved with helping children involved with DCF soon after becoming first lady of Massachusetts in 2015. Baker learned that the nonprofit, then the DCF Kids Fund, focused on holiday gifts, and sought to expand its role. She led its relaunch, and in 2017, Wonderfund was announced.
Karen Andreas, CEO of the North Shore Chamber and a former journalist, will lead the conversation with Baker. They will discuss her past and present roles, along with her passion for helping children.
The event opens at 11:30 a.m. with registration and lunch. The program begins at noon. Admission is $65 for chamber members and $85 for non-members. Registration is required.
Thrive is an initiative of the North Shore Chamber aimed at empowering women at all stages of career to succeed both personally and professionally. The program welcomes men to participate and learn as well.
The luncheon is sponsored by the Institution for Savings and INTERLOCKS Salon and MedSpa. Visit the chamber’s website to register for the luncheon or for more details.
