Former First Lady of Massachusetts and CEO of The Wonderfund, Lauren Baker sat down for a conversation with Chamber president and CEO Karen Andreas on Wednesday, Jan. 31, that touched on the years her husband, Charlie, was governor, and her passion for helping children.
Baker, who lives in Swampscott, spoke to a sold-out audience at the Chamber’s THRIVE luncheon at Blue Ocean Event Center in Salisbury. THRIVE is the Chamber’s initiative for women in business. The afternoon was sponsored by numerous Chamber members, including Platinum Sponsors Institution for Savings, INTERLOCKS Salon and MedSpa , and Wellpoint (formerly UniCare).
Baker, a longtime Wonderfund volunteer, took the helm of the nonprofit last autumn after Gov. Baker left office.
Wonderfund is a private nonprofit that serves the 43,000 children engaged with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF). Through a partnership with DCF, the organization provides resources and emergency aid, and funds enrichment opportunities for the children, such as sports, extracurricular activities or camps.
Baker first became involved with helping children involved with DCF soon after becoming First Lady of Massachusetts in 2015. Baker learned that the nonprofit, then the DCF Kids Fund, focused on holiday gifts, and sought to expand its role. Baker led its relaunch, and in 2017, Wonderfund was announced. Baker also has an extensive background in advertising, and worked for firms in New York and Boston where she managed campaigns for consumer products, technology companies and non-profit organizations.
Against a backdrop of family photos and images from her time as First Lady, Baker shared how she met her husband while they both were students at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, and how she initially didn’t take him seriously when he said he’d be governor one day. She spoke of her pride for how Baker handled the COVID-19 pandemic and how she sought to make their home a space where he could unwind at the end of each long day. Baker shared anecdotes about visits to the White House and meeting different presidents, and what it means to be the spouse of an elected official.
In addition to Wonderfund, Baker’s commitment to social responsibility is evident in her numerous other volunteer projects. She served for several years on the Board of Trustees at Marian Court College, a small, private college that catered to first-generation students.
She also served on the Phoenix Charter Academy Foundation Board, which raises private funding to support The Phoenix Academy Charter Schools for at-risk teens.