About Me - Laura Kramer

As an award-winning Human Resources leader at entrepreneurial tech companies, my professional career has focused on leadership and company culture. I have worked closely with and coached leadership through the challenges of internal professional relationships, communication, client relationship issues, and life. I understand fundraising, setting up a people-centric infrastructure and the common growing pains of early- to mid-stage tech businesses. It is the passion and sense of freedom to create permeating all roles at these young companies that is so motivating -- even to the extent of risking burnout or out-of-balance neglect of personal life and well-being. That is where my background makes me a good coach.

My early career was at law firms facilitating excellence with legal administration, supporting client relationships and fostering the day-to-day sense of community with real human connection amid heads-down focus. I attended law school, ultimately deciding it wasn't the right direction for me - though I enjoyed the experience and creative problem-solving. Coaching was an undefined theme in developing relationships with so many different people as they shared their dreams and creative interests. 

I started in support roles for years as I raised a family. The function was more than providing legal and executive assistance; the true nature of the roles was to foster success and create a nurturing, positive environment -- basically what leaders do. The culture allowed me to make as much of the roles as I wanted -- from initiating and winning a best place to work award, to speaking to the company at the 9/11 one-year memorial service about recognizing the significance and goodness in our daily relationships. 

A very key part of my background may initially seem irrelevant: I taught nursery school, developing a daily curriculum centered in empowering and fostering creativity and independence. As one of my daughters said when she turned 4: "I'm still a little bit 3." The 3-year old inside all of us wants to learn through play, to be understood and appreciated and have freedom to express themselves. This is the spark I connect with. 

Through an International Coaching Federation (ICF) accredited program, I am a Master Coach and I embody the ICF Code of Ethics and core competencies. This is complemented with a personal background rich in imagination, a sense of play, a daily relationship with Nature, and exploration of creative process. All of this is peppered with life experience: I’ve been around the block a few times and I provide a compassionate space free of judgment.