Lauren Kaufmann

Education: B.A., University of Pennsylvania; M.Sc., The London School of Economics and Political Science; Ph.D., The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania

Assistant Professor Lauren Kaufmann teaches first-year Business Ethics in Darden’s full time and part time MBA core, as well as second-year elective Feminist Business Ethics. Her research focuses on how mission-driven firms address grand social and environmental challenges, including social inequality and climate change. She has collaborated with impact investing funds, philanthropic foundations, and consulting firms in her research on social impact, impact investing, and gender. Her scholarly work has been published in Business Ethics Quarterly, Journal of Business Ethics and the Academy of Management Review. 

Prior to joining Darden, Lauren earned her PhD at Wharton. Previously, she worked at a conservation-focused asset management firm and at a nonprofit think tank, where she conducted research on gender equity investing.

Currently, Lauren serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Society for Business Ethics. In addition to her appointment at Darden, she is an affiliated faculty member in the Women, Gender & Sexuality Department at UVA.