Dr. Lauren Gilbert is Chief Executive Officer of BellXcel, at the helm of multiple innovative brands, each purpose-built to drive transformative impact and great outcomes for children.   A nationally-recognized expert in the youth sector, Lauren is renowned for her leadership roles in youth programming, education and administration, as well as her passionate advocacy to elevate the potential of all children. She has a deep commitment to studying the preponderance of research and best practices that drive high-quality youth experiences. Lauren’s dedication to evidence-based approaches and continuous improvement has led to BellXcel’s position as the gold standard for top-tier youth programming, a reputation validated by industry-leading third party evaluators. Lauren led BellXcel’s development and official launch of its proprietary youth programming software solution, Arly. Leveraging BellXcel’s 30 years of experience and evidence of all the ingredients essential for high-quality out of school youth programs, Arly is a true end-to-end SaaS solution, unlike any available today. In addition to more than a decade of leadership at BellXcel, Lauren draws upon a range of past roles from YMCA director of youth programming to special education teacher in her native New Mexico to assistant superintendent for a large school district in Massachusetts. Lauren holds a Doctorate in Education from Boston College and a Bachelor Degree in Special Education from the University of New Mexico. She attended the highly-selective nonprofit leadership program at Harvard University and is a Results for America What Works Nonprofit Fellow and Moneyball All-Star. Her Board service includes the Bridgespan Group’s Knowledge Advisory Board focused on accelerating impact in the social sector, as well as, Roca’s Board of Directors focused on engaging young adults to create systemic change in urban environments.