Laura Sparks

Laura Sparks serves as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Future Standard, President of the Future Standard Foundation (the firm’s philanthropic arm), and is a member of the firm’s Executive and Management Committees.

As Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Ms. Sparks oversees and develops strategic approaches to several key functions of the business, including government affairs, communications, marketing, M&A integration, and the firm’s global real estate footprint. In her role as President of the Future Standard Foundation, she works to advance equitable opportunity across the firm’s communities through civic engagement, philanthropy, and employee engagement initiatives.

Ms. Sparks has an extensive background in both financial services and civic leadership. Prior to joining Future Standard, she served in both public and private finance roles at Citi, Goldman Sachs and UBS. She also served asExecutive Director of the William Penn Foundation, a then $2 billion private foundation dedicated to improving the Philadelphia region. Most recently, Ms.Sparks served as the 13th President of The Cooper Union for the Advancement ofScience and Art. She was the first woman to serve in the role andorchestrated a historic financial turnaround.

She earned a BA from Wellesley College, a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

Ms. Sparks is a member of the Board of Trustees for The Julliard School, Temple University and Rockefeller Foundation Catalytic Capital.

‍