Lauren Black
Director of Talent
484.383.0606

A seasoned people-first HR practitioner, Lauren is a barometer for human potential, an innate strength she uses to attract, retain, and coach the best talent the global marketplace has to offer. As the driving force behind Navigate talent management efforts, she is a true believer in willpower and possesses the long-term vision required to see future leaders in today’s operators—hiring based on hunger, grit, and humility, rather than checking off tactical boxes. 

In her current position, Lauren is viewed as the bridge between two worlds, connecting recruitment processes back to high-level business objectives to ensure her talent strategies not only align with, but accelerate, company goals and elevate internal culture. When hard decisions must be made, Lauren acts in the best interest of the team around her, always choosing empathy over ego. 

Although Lauren now finds herself embedded in the intricate science of human capital management, her experience runs the full gamut of business functions—beginning in a digital consulting role, moving to business development where she first began growing her talent management acumen through HR transformation projects, and then joining a fast-paced startup where she was responsible for crafting and operationalizing a talent acquisition strategy from the ground up. 

Ready to connect human capital back to the bottom line and channel her entrepreneurial spirit, Lauren joined Navigate in 2018, determined to make a difference at an intimate organization with a commanding presence. Since joining, Lauren has spearheaded a complete overhaul of the employee experience using design thinking methodology, aligned value scorecards with hiring practices and baselines, and implemented a strength-based approach to performance that identifies and celebrates inherent talents. 

On the weekends, Lauren is an avid outdoors enthusiast and can often be found cruising local trails on her mountain bike with her family. Her passion for people extends behind the workplace—manifesting in her personal life through her involvement with the College of Charleston and ongoing membership and certification with SHRM. 

Get to Know Lauren
Rules to live by
Care deeply for people and the rest works itself out
Where did you grow up?
South Carolina
Why I love my job
I get to make an impact and help the business make people decisions that directly relate to the bottom line
If I worked elsewhere I would
Host retreats for self-help workshops on an animal preserve
I could teach you how to
Cook a few southern recipes passed down from my great grands
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Wanted to be a doctor and deliver babies or a traveling journalist
Most Adventurous Experience
Traveling through Europe with a group of strangers who quickly became friends

Rob Kathol

Founder & CEO

Melissa Dimitri

Managing Partner

Eileen Bartholomew

Partner

Lauren Black

Director of Talent

Amber Chubb

Principal Consultant

Brady Halligan

Principal Consultant

Gabriela Hess

Principal Consultant

Patrick Hoban

Principal Consultant

Brian Lee

Partner

Tatsiana Martynava

Controller

Jeff Summer

Partner

Adam Taicher

Partner

Marc Watrous, PhD

Strategic Advisor

Heidi White

Chief Marketing Officer