Eleanor Laurans
About Eleanor Laurans
Eleanor Laurans is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School and a Founding Partner at Workshop Venture Partners. She has extensive experience in education and finance, having previously served as CFO for Boston Public Schools and held various roles in consulting and education management.
Current Role at Harvard Business School
Eleanor Laurans serves as a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, a position she has held since 2020. In this role, she focuses on the intersection of purpose and profit, particularly in the fields of climate and education. Her expertise in these areas contributes to the academic environment at one of the leading business schools in the world, where she engages with students and faculty on innovative approaches to sustainable enterprises.
Previous Experience in Education Management
Eleanor Laurans has extensive experience in education management. She worked as the Chief Financial Officer for Boston Public Schools from 2015 to 2019, where she oversaw financial operations. Prior to that, she served as a Special Assistant in the Office of the Chancellor at the NYC Department of Education from 2003 to 2004. Her background in educational institutions has informed her approach to strategic school management.
Entrepreneurial Ventures and Investments
Eleanor Laurans is a co-founder of SimpliSafe, a home security company, which she has been involved with since 2006. Additionally, she is a Founding Partner at Workshop Venture Partners, established in 2021, where she invests pre-seed and seed capital in startups. Her work includes recruiting founding CEOs for ventures that originate within the studio, focusing on scalable and self-sustaining business models.
Educational Background
Eleanor Laurans holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Yale University, where she studied from 1996 to 2000. She furthered her education by earning a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, completing her degree from 2004 to 2006. This strong educational foundation has supported her career in both education and business.
Consulting Experience
Eleanor Laurans has a background in consulting, having worked at Bain & Company as a Senior Associate Consultant from 2000 to 2003. She also served as a Senior Principal in the Education Practice at The Parthenon Group from 2006 to 2014. Her consulting roles have equipped her with skills in strategic planning and operational improvement, which she applies in her current ventures.