Laura O’Brien is Manager of Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning with the Managing for Results team. She works with teams across WRI to map the Theories of Change that underpin their work, identify additional opportunities for research, and design plans for identifying and measuring impact.

Prior to joining WRI, Laura led monitoring, evaluation, and learning at the Digital Impact Alliance, a “think-do-replicate” tank housed in the United Nations Foundation. In this role she spearheaded multiple learning initiatives and integrated more design thinking into programs. She also worked as an Innovation Manager at the QED Group, a MEL consultant for several nonprofit organizations, and a program manager and development officer at Management Sciences for Health.

Laura has a Masters degree in Global Human Development with a specialization in Quantitative Analysis from Georgetown University, where she served as a research assistant at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and as a teaching assistant in an undergrad Econometrics course. She also has a BA in International Affairs from George Washington University.

Laura lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband, Julian, and cats Garen and Simon.