In 2012 Lauren was appointed to serve on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Multicultural Audience Development Advisory Board, which has broadened their scope and is now known as the Advisory Committee on Cultural Engagement. Having a seat at this prestigious table for a world renowned institution like The Met, during a time when cultural relevance is driving global transformation, has given Lauren a deeply focused understanding of creators and the institutions that have traditionally controlled viewership and access.

Keeping in step with all of these efforts, Lauren also serves as the creator and co-founder of the exclusive art series The Collab, a collaborative experience where artists and their supporters are brought together over phenomenal food and stimulating conversation. Meant to be an educational array modeled after institutional patron programs, the focus of this members-only series of gatherings is to uplift the work of artists of color and those who positively depict the culture through various media while deepening the knowledge of their needs in the communities where they create.

This movement began in July of 2019 as a grassroots effort to support and highlight the most talented creatives of our time and culture who are transforming the art industry and contributing their masterpieces to some of the greatest collections in the world. The love of the arts extends far beyond appreciating the aesthetic appeal of works on a wall. These artist’s creative contributions to the metaphorical canvas and their respective mediums have a unique value and impact of society at large.