Laura Gutierrez (she/her) is a Program Officer for Builders Vision. In this role, Laura is focusing on the foundation’s work in the Chicago region. Her passion for people and communities is embedded in the belief that every person deserves a safe and thriving community. Laura is a connector and community builder. She applies her expertise to ensure that investments in transforming communities are community-led. She is skilled at building relationships and strengthening broad coalitions to cultivate sustained change.
Before joining Builders Vision, Laura served as a Project Specialist for the Chicago Community Trust. She managed strategies that bolstered grassroots organizations to address disparities in safety across the region, including the Chicago Fund for Safe and Peaceful Communities and Let’s Link Chi. Prior to this role, she coordinated efforts on the Trust’s Community Impact team, specifically focusing on essential human services.
Laura holds over a decade of experience in the social impact sector. She earned a B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is an active civic leader and serves on a handful of boards of local community-based organizations serving residents most in need. She is currently a steering committee member of Nuestro Futuro, a giving circle of the Chicago Community Trust, and Chicago Latines in Philanthropy; a board member of Forefront and a member of the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) Program with the State of Illinois. A Chicagoan at heart, she grew up in the McKinley Park neighborhood on Chicago’s south side and is a loyal White Sox fan.