Lauren Bush Lauren is the founder and CEO of FEED. A native of Texas, Lauren attended Princeton University where she majored in Anthropology. As a sophomore, Lauren had the opportunity to travel with the UN World Food Programme. While visiting regions across Central America, Asia and Africa, Lauren witnessed firsthand the realities of poverty and hunger that people are facing all over the world. Using this experience as an inspiration, Lauren founded FEED as a tangible way for her peers to make an impact in fighting childhood hunger.
For her work with FEED, Lauren was named one of Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs in 2009 and one of Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 in 2010. She has also received the 2010 Accessories Council Humanitarian Award, the 2011 Stevie Award for Best Non-Profit Executive, the 2011 Fashion Group International Humanitarian Award and the 2013 Women in Communications Award (WiCi). In 2014, Lauren was named as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs and one of Crain’s 40 Under 40.
Q: How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
A: I have learned so much about being a leader over the last ten years of starting and growing FEED. I have made many mistakes along the way, but each has been an incredible learning opportunity. And every day, I try to lead from a place where the mission and founding intention behind FEED is my driving force and north star.
Q: How has your previous employment experience aided your tenure at FEED?
A: I was actually still in school when I came up with the idea for FEED. During my sophomore year I became an Honorary Spokesperson for the UN World Food Programme, and it was during my trips to places like Guatemala, Chad, and Cambodia, as well as here in America, that my eyes were opened to the problem of world hunger that affects one in eight across the globe. I was always interested in fashion and design, having spent time modeling and taking design classes during breaks from school. I created FEED as a way to provide people with a tangible way to make an impact in the fight against hunger, with each purchase of a FEED product donating meals directly to children in need.
Q: What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at FEED?
A: It’s always so exciting to reach a new milestone, from making our first sale to hitting the 100 million meals donated mark this fall. Ten years in, the FEED community’s dedication to making a difference continues to surprise and impress me on a daily basis.
There are new challenges every day when starting a business and growing a brand, but I’m fortunate to have an amazing team that is always willing to work hard and navigate through whatever obstacle comes our way. Hitting this ten year, 100 million meal milestone is a wonderful reminder that our hard work is paying off in terms of creating great products, engaging loyal customers, and making a difference.
Q: What advice can you offer to women who want a career in your industry?
A: My biggest piece of advice for anyone looking to start a career in this space is to remember that the sweet spot of any social venture is connecting to a cause you truly care about, and identifying how you can merge it with your unique talents and resources. For me, that was showing people that hunger wasn’t an intangible problem and that everyone could make a difference by utilizing design and brand building to create a way for people to engage.
Q: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career to date?
A: Starting a new venture takes a village, so make sure that your village is made up of people you respect and can learn from and grow with along the way. The most important thing you can do when starting a business is surround yourself with smart people who know a lot more than you do in certain realms. Having that support system, whether it’s friends, mentors, or capable and dedicated teammates—and hopefully it’s all of the above—is very valuable for any entrepreneur.
Q: How do you maintain a work/life balance?
A: It depends on the day honestly, but I have tried to not be hard on myself in striving to achieve the perfect, allusive ‘work/life’ balance. I do something I love and am constantly building and helping shape something that I am grateful to be part of, so my work is my life and vise versa.
Q:What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?
A: My own context for this question is probably very different from most founders. I’m really proud that most of the members of my team are women, helping to create the great products, campaigns, and experiences that specifically resonate with our majority female customers. In crafting our culture and policies, it’s never been through the lens of this question—it’s always been how to empower everyone on the team to live their best lives. Obviously that informs how we approach questions women often struggle with around balancing family and work. I’m thankful that I have personally grappled with those questions myself—it grounds me when thinking about what’s important for my team.
Q: How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?
A: I relied heavily on the amazing network of people around me who had experience in both fashion and philanthropy, and were willing to give me advice early on. It's so important to seek out mentors and knowledge from those who have come before you, and I don’t think I would be where I am today, both professionally and personally, without each and every mentor who helped me along the way.
Q: Which other female leaders do you admire and why?
A: I really admire women who have done the impossible and broken barriers for women- lMadeline Albright and Ruth Bader Ginsburg to name a few. I also admire women, like Malala Yousafzia, who have stood for what is right, even in the face of incredible hardships. And lastly I am constantly inspired by the many strong women in my own life- my mom, my sister, my grandmothers, and my fellow Team FEED ladies.
Q: What do you want FEED to accomplish in the next year?
A: I am so impressed by how much FEED accomplishes every year! Looking ahead, my vision is for FEED to continue growing as a lifestyle brand, providing new tangible experiences for people to make a daily impact in the fight against global hunger. While we have come a long way and have definitely made a difference, there’s so much more we can do!