FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Lori Warren
Director of Marketing & Communications
lwarren@redf.org
(415) 510-6038
REDF Welcomes Martin Lauber and Courtney Welton to Board of Directors
SAN FRANCISCO (December 06, 2023) – REDF, a venture philanthropy that invests in employment social enterprises ― businesses achieving transformative social impact by providing jobs, training, and support to people breaking through barriers to employment ― has appointed two new members to its Board of Directors: Martin Lauber and Courtney Welton.
Martin Lauber is the founder and managing partner of 19York and 19Y Advisors. He has 30 years’ experience as a creative development specialist, business strategist, and investor/advisor/board member. Past clients and partners have included Disney, Levi Strauss & Co., Dockers, Taco Bell, eBay, PayPal, PG&E, Panda Express, Mazda, AAA, Ubisoft, Wells Fargo, Mercedes Benz, Red Herring, Fox Sports, and Microsoft.
Courtney Welton is the senior vice president, general counsel, Business Law & Compliance, and chief ethics and privacy officer of Allstate Insurance Company, a $50B publicly traded Fortune 70 company. In this role, Welton supports 20+ business units and subsidiaries and leads a team of hundreds of direct and indirect employees. Welton has vast expertise in advising companies in transition, particularly in the areas of technology, culture formation, go-to-market strategies, product and service redesign, acquisitions, and organizational restructuring.
“We are so pleased to welcome Martin and Courtney to our board. They bring to our governance a blend of equal parts strategy, creativity, and insight,” says Maria Kim, president and CEO of REDF. “Their talents and passion for inclusion will be invaluable as we grow the movement for an economy that works, for everyone.”
Lauber has significant investment and M&A expertise in the fields of marketing services, communications technology, ecommerce marketplaces, fintech, remote/digital education, consumer products, mobility, and alternative energy. He founded and grew the pioneering digital marketing firm Swirl until its sale to the Japanese conglomerate Dentsu in 2017. In 2018, Lauber expanded his investment and mergers and acquisitions experience through his work with Cox Enterprises, where he served as the New Ventures Lead for Cox Mobility. Lauber is a member of the Board of Directors of Volta, the nation’s largest EV charging/digital out-of-home network, and serves as Board advisor to several private companies including ePropelled, LegionM, WheelWell, and StudySync.
“I have been aware of REDF since being introduced years ago by my childhood friend, Adam Smith. His enthusiasm for REDF and its mission have inspired me to get involved and help bring greater awareness to this unique and special organization,” shares Lauber.
A graduate of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Welton worked at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, advising executives in public and private companies across multiple industries on business litigation and corporate governance matters. She also served as general counsel for Lenovo’s $10 billion mobile technology unit, where she was instrumental in establishing Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc., and oversaw the integration of legal departments after both the Google acquisition of Motorola Mobility in 2012 and the sale of Motorola Mobility to Lenovo in 2014.
Welton was recognized for her philanthropic work and commitment to workplace diversity with the inaugural Rhonda Ferguson Legacy Award for Inclusive Diversity and Equity at Allstate; she is also an executive sponsor of PRIDE Employee Impact Group. She serves as an advisory board member for Northwestern University’s Master of Product Design and Development Management program and as a member of the board of directors for Legal Prep Charter Academy. She was named to Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 and Top Tech 50 lists and Illinois Diversity Council’s Top 15 Illinois Women in Business.
“I am excited to continue advocating for a more inclusive workplace and help others break through corporate barriers with the support of REDF,” said Welton. “REDF invests in and provides scaffolding to businesses that reveal and reinforce the talent of people breaking through barriers to employment, and that’s great work to be a part of.”
REDF is a partner of The Allstate Foundation. REDF’s deep expertise in workforce development, commitment to racial equity, and focus on entrepreneurship are directly aligned with The Allstate Foundation’s Racial Equity work, which focuses on closing the racial opportunity gap for careers with thriving wages.
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ABOUT REDF
REDF invests in employment social enterprises (ESEs) — businesses that provide jobs, training, and support to people breaking through barriers to employment. REDF partners with these businesses and the entrepreneurs who lead them — providing capital, capacity, and community — to amplify their transformative impact. Since 1997, REDF has invested in more than 266 ESEs in 38 states and DC. Collectively, these partnerships have helped over 100,000 people enter the workforce and generate more than $2 billion in revenue that is reinvested in employee success — creating a ripple effect that strengthens families and communities and helps build an economy that works. For everyone.
For more information, visit redf.org.
