New Bay Area Board Chair Looks to Expand Opportunities for Scholars
Laura Pantaleo has been named chair of the Posse Bay Area Advisory Board. A wealth manager at Laird Norton Wetherby and a member of the Bay Area Advisory Board for the past four years, Laura brings decades of leadership experience in finance and a longstanding commitment to expanding access to higher education. She succeeds David Korol, the head of sales at Canary Data, whose leadership helped grow and strengthen the program’s network of supporters and expand opportunities for Scholars in the Bay Area.
Although Laura has called the Bay Area home for more than 30 years, she grew up in Toronto as the child of first-generation Italian immigrants. As the first in her family to attend college, Laura says Posse’s mission immediately resonated with her.
“Supporting students as they leave home and enter unfamiliar environments really spoke to me. I wish I had something like Posse growing up,” she says. “Posse’s commitment to developing Scholars as leaders is what makes the organization so unique.”
Laura first came to the Bay Area during graduate school for an internship with Logitech before building a career in finance that ultimately led to her current role at Laird Norton Wetherby.
“One of the reasons I joined Laird Norton Wetherby was the culture. It’s a diverse, largely women-led firm, which is still uncommon in finance. It felt like a place where I could make a meaningful impact,” she says. “Through Laird Norton Wetherby’s internship partnership with Posse, I was introduced to the organization, and everything about the mission resonated with me.”
Since joining the Bay Area Advisory Board, Laura has attended Awards Ceremonies, PossePlus Retreats (PPRs) and other events across the site. Those experiences have reinforced for her the strength of the Bay Area community and the opportunity to continue building on that momentum.
“Every Awards Ceremony and PPR reminds me how powerful this community is. When people experience Posse firsthand, they understand the mission in a completely different way,” says Laura. “I hope to continue creating opportunities for alumni, Career Partners and supporters to experience that same sense of connection. The Bay Area has so much potential, and I am proud to help continue building on everything that’s already been created.”
