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LEADERSHIP & LEGACY: Another Sit-Down With Newark Academy’s Trustees
(Continued from page 7)
Lauren Hedvat ’01
Following her 2001 graduation, Lauren Hedvat returned to Newark Academy on several occasions, including as the 2014 Convocation speaker. She earned an NA Women of Distinction award in 2011 before joining the NA Board of Trustees in 2012. Today, Lauren is an at-large member of the NA BOT Executive Committee and serves on the Trusteeship Committee, and the Finance Committee.
In her professional career, Lauren is the Head of Capital Markets at Nitra, a fintech company providing business and financial solutions for healthcare professionals. Prior to Nitra, she was Head of Capital Markets at LoanSnap, a fintech company using artificial intelligence to underwrite and originate residential mortgage loans, and previously worked at Angel Oak Capital, Barclays, and Goldman Sachs, where she held positions in structured finance and capital markets. Lauren is an active alumna of the University of Pennsylvania, including her recent appointment to the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women. Her alumni volunteer engagement was recognized when she was awarded with the Penn Young Alumni Award of Merit in 2016. She is also a volunteer at the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of
New York. Lauren holds an M.S. in engineering, a B.S. in engineering and a B.A. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
From Bread Baking to Business and Beyond
When Lauren left her last traditional finance job in early 2020, her plan was to take a break for a couple of months and travel, then pivot into the startup and tech world. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantine brought about a great change in her plans, through the launch of her own challah baking business, Noosh Kneads.
“I started baking challah bread and was testing different flavors each week as a way to keep in contact with friends and family,” Lauren explains, noting that her beloved hobby allows her to stay connected to her Persian Jewish heritage.
Lauren began posting Instagram stories inviting followers to guess the flavor of the week, garnering substantial engagement. “It led to people asking me if I was selling [bread], to which I laughed and said, ‘I’m just home baking like everyone else is,’” she says. “More and more people started asking, so I thought, ‘There is clearly some demand and a market for this.’ I’ve always enjoyed the idea of becoming an entrepreneur, and have more time right now. Let me test it out.’” This was also especially meaningful at the time for Lauren as she was able to share this endeavor with her grandmother over FaceTime during the pandemic. Her grandmother, along with the rest of her family, were instrumental in inspiring her to launch Noosh Kneads through their demonstration of the strong Persian cultural values of hospitality and time spent with family and friends.
Since its launch, Noosh Kneads has thrived, churning out a variety of handmade artisan breads each day. Lauren now enjoys juggling her roles as a fintech leader and a business owner. She credits her NA experience with instilling in her the desire and willingness to explore various avenues of interest and to follow her passions.
“I love math and science, but I also have other passions like my love of the arts,” she says. “NA allowed me to simultaneously dance, play in the orchestra, participate in sports and serve in the Minuteman Society. I felt like I was given infinite opportunities to easily explore all of my different interests.”
Motivation To Lead
Lauren’s NA experience, paired with her parents’ continual encouragement to give back to others, motivated her to serve on the NA Board of Trustees. She hopes that NA continues to be a leading academic institution that prepares students for life after school by cultivating critical thinking, respect for others, diversity of thought and civic engagement. She also aspires to see NA continue innovating with the rapidly changing times while maintaining its longstanding set of core values, which she says, along with the faculty and staff, make the school special.
“I was really inspired by being able to think about the school from this differ- ent perspective [as a trustee],” Lauren says. “So, when this opportunity to give back and shape NA’s present and future presented itself, it was an immediate yes for me.”
Lauren takes pride in knowing that NA has an active and forward-thinking Board, which she believes is representative of the school community, bringing together diversity of both experience and thought.
“I think we’re extremely thoughtful around decision-making, whether it’s strategic or otherwise,” she says, “and we do an excellent job of not only thinking about the entire school community at the present moment, but also how our decisions could impact the future.”
Civic Engagement and Philanthropic Roots
When looking back at the root of her civic engagement, Lauren credits her parents for instilling in her the value of education, community service and philanthropy. She recalls that their support of several community organizations, including her family’s local synagogue and work for the Newark Academy Parents Association (NAPA) and the NA Annual Fund, helped her to see the importance of getting involved and paying it forward.
“We learned that it was not just about giving back, but also helping the community and others,” Lauren says, referring to her siblings, Shannon Hedvat ’03 and Brandon Hedvat ’06. “That’s something that’s become important for my siblings and me.”
Lauren shares her appreciation for NA’s culture of civic engagement, noting the many opportunities she had to participate in service-learning activities while in school. She cites her NA experience as another reason why she is passionate about volunteerism and philanthropy.
Lauren has raised funds for the NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center after being inspired by the good care they provided to her grandmother especially following her hip surgery and when she experienced health challenges late in life. She also selects a different nonprofit organization to highlight each month through Noosh Kneads, donating a percentage of her sales.
“I think it’s really important for anyone who is able to support others to put in the time and make changes that make lives better,” Lauren says.
