About
LAUREN SOWERS
Please note: I am no longer working as an independent communications strategist.
These days, you’ll find me at Invest Appalachia, where I lead strategic communications efforts focused on equitable community investment and regional economic transformation.
Personal History
I was a licensed private investigator for over a decade and played a pivotal role in countless conflicts.
An expert in OSINT (open-source intelligence), I spent years devoted to arming up one side or another, providing evidence or background information that places people into submission. I was a highly rated educator for conferences, seminars, and investigator continuing education on issues relating to the tools and ethics of online intelligence gathering. I managed multi-jurisdictional U.S. and global teams for digital and boots-on-the-ground investigations and served as Editor for the Council of International Investigators.
It was always satisfying when our due diligence helped clients win litigation or avoid bad deals. But some conflicts seemed destined to take over people’s lives.
I wanted to learn better ways for clients to solve problems while retaining control of their time, budget, and peace of mind.
That’s why, in 2019, I started a career shift toward communications, completing training and testing to become a Superior Court Mediator.
But that was just the start of my journey to improving lives through communications work.
While mediating and advising corporate and nonprofit clients on strategic communications, I pursued an M.S. in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding from The Carter School (GMU), with a concentration in Media, Narrative, and Public Discourse. My interdisciplinary and PR-focused communications degree covered psychology, rhetoric, storytelling, ecology, policy writing, and international relations.
As a SHRM-SCP, most of my work comes from businesses and nonprofits that want in-house solutions for their most demanding communication challenges. My favorite projects tell an organization’s story in an authentic and compelling way, improve employee experience, enhance conflict resolution, and build effective workflows.
My family and I live in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, Western North Carolina. I enjoy gardening, biking, and playing music in my free time.
In recent years, my favorite books have been Ways of Being by James Bridle, The Overstory by Richard Powers, Wild Mind, Wild Earth by David Hinton, A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende, and every single book written by Lauren Groff, Marilynne Robinson, and Jhumpa Lahiri.
My Credentials:
NCDRC - North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission Certified as a Mediator in Superior Court
