Why Ecosystems Matter: Rethinking the School-to-Work Pipeline with Lauren Marie Hall

Lauren Marie Hall, Ph.D.

Founder & Principal

Braided Futures 

Quote of the Podcast

"Relationships move at the speed of trust; social change moves at the speed of relationships" Rev. Jen Bailey

Introduction of Guest BIO – 

Lauren Hall, Ph.D., is the founder and principal of Braided Futures, a systems design and strategy firm that helps communities connect education, workforce, and economic opportunity. She also serves as a Community Scholar with Indiana University Indianapolis, contributing to research and program design at the intersection of postsecondary education, workforce development, and employer engagement. A former teacher and nonprofit leader, Lauren has spent more than 15 years building cross-sector partnerships, generating millions in public and philanthropic investment, and turning ambitious ideas into practical systems-level change. She currently leads strategy and implementation for the Elkhart County Work-Based Learning Hub and serves as Indiana’s inaugural EPIC clearinghouse provider through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Lauren was also selected as a Champion with the Inter/National Center for Apprenticeship Degree, joining international leaders working to advance apprenticeship degrees and work-integrated higher education. Her doctoral research examines how communities can build more coherent education-to-employment systems that support mobility, belonging, and regional vitality.

Interview

Agents of Change: Leaders/Innovators. 

• 30,000 Ft. View – Why so we, as a society invest in education?
• What drew you to education as a practice?
• What it takes to move from promising education and workforce programs to coherent systems
• Why schools cannot—and should not—be expected to build education-to-employment systems alone
• The role of employers, higher education, workforce organizations, and intermediaries in creating stronger career-connected learning pathways;
• What success can look like – multiple models
• What are the biggest challenges to you?
• What would you like decision makers to know?”

Podcast/ website/ book shoutouts

Professional: Personal: Yesteryear (just finished it with my bookclub)

Support the show

Education Perspectives is edited by Shashank P athttps://www.fiverr.com/saiinovation?source=inbox

Intro and Outro by Dynamix Productions