TheBridge profile: Lauren Zabierek
Name: Lauren Zabierek
Current city: Boston, MA
Current job: Executive Director of the Cyber Project at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Past job: Senior Intelligence Analyst and Public Sector Team Manager at Recorded Future, former intelligence analyst (in counterterrorism) at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and U.S. Air Force veteran
Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? Any of the great coffee shops in Harvard Square or the Harvard Kennedy School cafeteria.
Q. Describe how a skill you learned in a previous job helped you in your current job. Two things come to mind--first, “embrace the suck”--be willing to roll up your sleeves to get the job done even in difficult circumstances (because it will get hard); and second, the ability to differentiate between what is urgent and what isn’t--when I was at Recorded Future, I was fresh from government and from a few years’ worth of deployments to Afghanistan. My stress level was high and everything seemed like a crisis. My then-boss (who had also come from the Intelligence Community and had deployed to a warzone) sat me down and told me, “listen, bombs are not falling” and that allowed me to relax a little bit and do a better job. I’ve used both skills not only in my own right, but also with my colleagues.
Q. Job advice in three words? Nurture your relationships!
Q. How are you (or your company, org, nonprofit) currently bridging the gap between innovation and regulation? I’ve been on all sides of the gap--I’ve worked in tech and I’ve worked in government, I’m in policy research and analysis now--and I am a consumer of technology. Bringing this perspective to the debate helps to understand the challenges and opportunities faced by all the players in the space. Being able to speak the different languages of each constituency and to engage effectively with people across the spectrum helps to bridge the gap too.
Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? Cybersecurity and information security are national security concerns in which technology plays a huge role -- innovators can therefore gain more understanding about these issues from policymakers so they can help to address these challenges.
Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? Innovators have a great opportunity to inform policymakers about technology -- how it works, how it’s used, and how it can be exploited. Policymakers can also learn about challenges that innovators face, so they can work together to find a good balance between regulation and technological advancement that both benefits and protects consumers.
Q. Favorite book/podcast/long-form article you recommend? I am a mother of two young children now so time for reading or listening for pleasure is extremely rare. Some books I’ve enjoyed in the past are Team of Teams (and My Share of the Task) by General Stanley McChrystal and This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Phillips. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson shifted my understanding of the world. I’ve also been meaning to listen to Unlocking Us by Brene Brown and the Michelle Obama Podcast.
Q. Everyday is probably different, but can you describe a "day in the life" of your job? I’ve had to become very efficient working at home during the pandemic to create boundaries around my professional and personal life--and I want to be as present as I can with my husband and children, so I am pretty strict about working between the hours of 9 and 5. I usually block off time for reading, writing, and research. Then I’ll block some time for admin work and planning. I usually have a few meetings either with colleagues or with external contacts--I try to keep those to phone calls if I can to cut down on zoom fatigue. [Delete "And"] Often I am often either preparing for or conducting an event--whether a webinar, podcast, or panel. Before the pandemic, I often hosted Cyber Project Speaker events or attended events at the Belfer Center or the Kennedy School at large...I miss even the simple things, like running out for a coffee or grabbing lunch with my colleagues. That’s the beauty of working at HKS--the vibrant community and incredible events.
Q. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself in the beginning of your career? Document all of your accomplishments on a regular basis!
Q. What's one piece of advice you are still trying to master? Don’t take on too much...I try, but there are so many interesting things to explore!
Q. Most underrated virtue in an employee? I recently worked with somebody who was fantastic at managing up--she made things so much easier. I took valuable lessons from that experience and I hope to do better in that regard.
Q. If you had to live in another city, which would it be? Los Angeles. Or Paris. I love the vibe in both cities.
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