Lauren Su

Director, Certification, What Works Cities


Lauren Su is the Director of Certification for the What Works Cities initiative.  She brings over a decade of experience working alongside leaders in city, state, federal and international governments to implement creative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.  Lauren most recently led government relations at the Clinton Global Initiative, where she worked with local, national and foreign policymakers to develop cross-sector partnerships and turn innovative ideas into actionable plans.  Previously, she served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy (DMI), a think tank founded during the civil rights movement that bridged the gap between legislators and activists to advance social and economic justice in cities throughout the United States.  A native New Yorker, Lauren holds a B.A. in Government from Cornell University.