Laura Scher

Laura Scher is co-founder, chairperson and former chief executive officer of Working Assets. Working Assets is a wireless, long distance and credit card company dedicated to building a world that is more just, humane and environmentally sustainable.

Laura co-founded Working Assets in 1985 on the belief that building a business and building a better world are not mutually exclusive. Working Assets supports positive social change by donating a percentage of its revenue (from top-line sales, not bottom-line profits) to progressive nonprofit groups working for peace, human rights, equality, education, and the environment.

Under Laura’s leadership, the company has donated $100 million to progressive nonprofit groups such as Doctors without Borders, International Rescue Committee, Planned Parenthood, Human Rights Watch and Rainforest Action Network.

As CEO, Laura helped Working Assets grow to more than $100 million in annual revenue. Working Assets has appeared on Inc. Magazine’s list of fastest growing, privately held companies for five years in a row and received many accolades for its work from organizations around the country.

Laura earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Yale and studied international economics at the Institute for International Studies in Geneva.

For over 15 years Laura has taught a seminar on social entrepreneurship at Stanford University.

Laura serves on the board of the Salesforce Foundation. She is on the advisory board to the Yale University Art Gallery. She serves as an advisor to many nonprofit and for profit leaders. She has contributed to The Business of Changing the World edited by Marc Benioff and to a children’s book titled 33 More Things Every Girl Should Know. She has written articles for several publications on corporate social responsibility.