Lara H.

Senior Search Associate

She/Her/Hers

As an Arab American, Lara has always been passionate about changing and dismantling systems and structures in order to help marginalized communities not only survive, but actually live. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Lara worked in the nonprofit sector, specifically focusing on crisis intervention and advocacy for folks such as sexual assault survivors, children facing abuse, and men recently released from Cook County jail. 

In addition to her experience in the nonprofit world, Lara also has an extensive background in organizing and activism in Chicago, as a board member of the Chicago Abortion Fund and a leading member of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network. Lara is a deep believer in community and creating relationships that transcend capitalism, and brings that mindset to both her professional and personal life. She also brings in an intersectional, anti-imperialist, and anti-capitalist lens to her work, focusing on making sure that  those most marginalized are at the center of and involved in everything she does. In her free time, you can find Lara fundraising for organizations she cares about, watching anime, or playing with her cat, Gaara.