Lauren Taylor

Lauren R. Taylor is a leader in the field of preventing, interrupting, and healing from gender-based violence. With co-author Nadia Telsey, she authored “Get Empowered: A Practical Guide to Thrive, Heal, and Embrace Your Confidence in a Sexist World.”

Lauren’s been working to end gender-based violence since 1978, when she co-founded Washington, D.C.’s, first shelter for abused women. She’s a survivor who, for more than 35 years, has been teaching skills for stopping harassment, abuse, and assault to those most targeted: women, LGBTQIA+ people, and disabled people.

As a trainer and director of Defend Yourself, Lauren and her team have reached more than 40,000 people in the D.C. area and nationally.