We’re excited to introduce this week’s Event 360 Teammate Spotlight. Enjoy this week’s glimpse into the personal and professional life of Lauren Pike!
Position: Local Operations Manager
Start Year: 2009
What job did you hold right before you came to work at Event 360? I was working in community outreach and development for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.
Was there anything in particular that brought you to Event 360? My mother was a Susan G. Komen grantee so I was privy to the amazing impact events like the Race for the Cure series were making in the communities they served. When I came across a six-month contract to work with Event 360 on the Race in Washington, D.C., there was no question I had to have that job! Six years later, being able to connect with the beneficiaries of our clients’ events is still the most meaningful part of my work.
If you weren’t working at Event 360 what would you be doing? I tried out an assortment of careers from politics to freelance writing but after my first taste of nonprofit work at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, I knew that was where I belonged. If I wasn’t at Event 360, I would likely be fighting the good fight for an organization just like the clients we serve.
Favorite part of your job? Looking for new solutions to roadblocks and imagining ways to make an event transform from good to unforgettable.
What do you like to do in your free time? I am an avid reader and volunteer as a curriculum-based literacy eMentor for elementary school students. When my nose isn’t buried in a book, I can be found getting my hands dirty on the farm at the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture– my favorite local nonprofit. I’m also a burgeoning (but still not great) homebrewer.
Most memorable event experience? Along with the help of some fantastic volunteers, staging an impromptu dance party at a pit stop on the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund Ride & Run to Remember course. The sun was shining, the music was upbeat, and – to my amazement – the cyclists found the energy to move along with us! It definitely put a smile on everyone’s face who stopped by.
You’re showing off your hometown to a friend who has never been to visit before. What’s on your must see/do/eat list? For traditional sightseeing: the Natural History Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and touring the monuments at night. For a taste of D.C. culture: eating Ethiopian food from one of the many available establishments (Dukem and Etete are two favorites), stopping by Blind Whino or another local gallery, and browsing the wares at Eastern Market. For can’t-miss meals: Rose’s Luxury, Eat the Rich, and Birch and Barley.
On event, what three things are we guaranteed to find in your bag? Sunscreen, a clipboard filled with schedules and event notes, and hand sanitizer.
One word to describe Event 360? Dedicated.
