She/ Her

Favorite food: Korean BBQ

Lara Smith

Collaborator

Lara Smith spent 11 years running two different arts organizations, Actor’s Express and Dad’s Garage. While at Actor’s Express, she helped lead the organization through a financial crisis and ultimately retired 26% of their debt in two years. At Dad’s Garage, Lara led the organization through losing their home of 18 years, finding a permanent home, running a nontraditional capital campaign, overseeing renovations, and most recently, surviving a pandemic. Lara served on the mayor’s advisory council for reopening the city, helped organize Arts Vote ATL, and sat on the creative industries roundtable for the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

In her free time, Lara likes to read, make Temari (embroidered balls), travel, and eat new foods. She lives in Reynoldstown with her husband and dog, Gidget.

Lara has worked with: Counter Narrative Project, Decatur Arts Alliance, Hand, Heart, and Soul Project, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia, ServeHAITI, staibdance, and many others.

Education

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts in Stage Management

  • Strategic Perspective in Nonprofit Management, Harvard Business School

Skills

  • Board development, training, and engagement

  • Facilitating board meetings, retreats, or work sessions

  • Corporate Sponsorships

  • Strategic plans

  • Project management

  • Cultural planning

  • Interim Leadership Direction

  • Recruitment

Memberships & Volunteer Service

  • Old Fourth Ward Business Association

  • The Farmer Fund

Accolades

  • LEAD Atlanta Class of 2014

  • Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 Under 40, 2015

  • Regional Leadership Institute Class of 2017

  • Atlanta 500, 2020 and 2021

  • Received scholarship to attend Harvard Business School for a week-long session

Lara has been featured in:

  • American Theatre Magazine

  • ArtsATL

  • Atlanta Business Chronicle

  • Huffington Post

  • Saporta Report

  • Slate