Speaker • Author • Educator • Advocate for Shame Resilience

Dr. Lauren Lemons is a dynamic educator, storyteller, and researcher who has spent her life exploring the intersections of shame, resilience, faith, and identity. With over two decades of experience in public education—first as a high school teacher and eventually as a district-level executive—Lauren brings both academic rigor and deeply personal insight to her work. Her voice is uniquely dual-coded: grounded in research, yet profoundly human.

She holds a Doctorate in Leadership in Education with a focus on social justice (2020), along with master’s degrees in both Theology (1999, Fuller Theological Seminary) and Public Education Administration (2010). Her academic foundation is matched by lived experience. Lauren was raised in California’s Central Valley in a family steeped in faith, education, and service. Her mother, a high school English teacher and five-time cancer survivor, shaped her understanding of courage. Her father, a Pentecostal pastor and lifelong mentor, instilled her unwavering belief in hope and purpose.

Her work today blends research-based tools with raw, real-life narratives. She speaks to audiences about the long-term impact of emotional pain, the science of shame, and the power of reclaiming one’s voice after trauma.

When she’s not writing or speaking, Lauren can be found hanging out with her daughter, Lucy, and their three dogs. She believes in faith, friendship, embodied healing within true community. Her passion is providing expanded learning opportunities to children in camps that her company provides on weekends and most school breaks around the state of California.

To connect with Lauren, book her for speaking engagements, or read more of her work, visit the contact page on this website.

Advanced Leadership Insights (ALI) is a premier consulting firm here to support all your system needs.  We specialize in Extended/Enrichment Learning Opportunities for students, Family Engagement events, Leadership Coaching (individual and teams), Race and Social Justice training, Administrative organizational supports, as well as professional development for all staff.

Our work spans all of California Our consultants support both private and public systems.

Each member of our team has been extensively vetted and has been specializing in their expert areas for no less than a decade.