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LAUREN MILITELLO
About Lauren
I'm a multi-skilled professional passionate about supporting meaningful work with organizations that value uplifting lives in underserved communities. As a neurodivergent person with combined ADHD, I thrive on continual learning and exploration.
Navigating life as a queer goth at a suburban high school in the '90s wasn't the greatest. So, in my 20s, I transformed a 13-room Victorian hotel in East Oakland into an affordable and inclusive shared home for artists and educators. Running a communal safe space in our struggling neighborhood was an eye-opener and sparked my work with nonprofits.
In my 30s, I moved to Concord (homeland of the Chupcan tribe, a Bay Miwok group) and cherish Mt. Diablo's hiking trails. As a California Bay Area resident for 25 years, I feel fortunate to call this beautiful place home.
Academic, Training, and Volunteer Work
As a first-generation college student, I graduated with honors from CSU East Bay with a BA in Strategic Communication, and an MS in Counseling. My goal is to earn my license in Marriage and Family Therapy by 2027 and my Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Counseling With Child Welfare and Attendance by August 2026 (PPSC).
Project accomplishments from my MS in Counseling is a workshop titled Rooted:Futures in Focus, Life Skills for Transitional Age Youth (TAY), an Eight-Week Group Workshop: Psychoeducational Discussions with an Existential Orientation and Transition to
Independence Process (TIP) Model Integration.
Click here to view a folder containing training certificates that relate to my role as a PPSC candidate and MDUSD school-based therapist.
I care deeply about mental health, our environment, and LGBTQ+ rights. Here is an advocacy presentation about connecting urban-locked youth with wild spaces.
To learn more about the challenges queer youth face in California schools, by reading my paper here.
I've volunteered at several NGOs across the Bay Area, working with youth and adults at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, Bay Area Wilderness Training, The Crucible, Build, White Pony Express, Cycles of Change, The Permaculture Skills Center, and at organic farms in Hawai'i.
Most Recent Employment
The heart of my past work with nonprofits is rooted in creative and administrative roles dedicated to promoting equity and inclusion for underserved communities in California. Most recently, I worked for the food and goods rescue nonprofit White Pony Express in campaign fundraising roles, supporting school food pantries and recipient sites.In 2019 I was competitively selected to become a Research Assistant at CSU East Bay. I worked with Dr. Valerie Smith on a grant-funded qualitative study researching California's wildfires and community crisis communication needs.
Past Employment
In 2014 I founded Take Root Productions with the goal of producing videos that deliver an emotional impact and plant a seed of connection. These 1-3 minute videos helped fundraise and build awareness for nonprofits.
Before starting Take Root Productions I worked as an Office Manager at the Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC). Prior to BAVC,
I worked as a Customer Relations Supervisor, International Coordinator, and Salesperson for Numi Organic Tea. In four years I was awarded 'Employee of the Quarter' three times.
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