Laurel Dumont

Laurel Dumont is Senior Director, New Ventures at Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE). After teaching elementary school and then representing indigent clients as a legal services and social justice attorney, Laurel dedicated the next decade to developing innovative solutions to urban problems. Laurel led the development of three new school-based health centers offering medical, dental and mental health services to children across Newark, and a first-of-its-kind pro bono legal services program for ex-offenders that has served thousands of New Jersey residents seeking employment after incarceration. She started and led a nonprofit to fill a gap in Newark’s civic ecosystem that collaborated with Mayor Cory Booker’s administration to engage residents in decisions that impact them by government, nonprofit, business and philanthropic leadership. Laurel leads LEE’s New Ventures team, building tools and training to support entrepreneurs to develop leadership and technical competencies for planning, launching and sustaining civic ventures. New Ventures offers coaching, leadership development, strategy consulting and grants of up to $100,000 to founders of advocacy, organizing and political efforts seeking to end educational inequity.