Rena Dorph, PhD

Director, The Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley

Science and STEM literacy are critical. As Director of the Lawrence Hall of Science–UC Berkeley’s public science center–I lead a "Learning Lab" where world-class R&D addresses the most pressing educational challenges. I steward a $32M budget and 250 staff to operate a premier science center, engaging ~150,000 visitors annually, equipping educators, and producing standard-setting K–12 curricula used by over 20% of U.S. students. We passionately pursue our mission: inspiring and engaging people through science discovery in ways that advance equity and opportunity.  Driven by the "Berkeley Effect"—the principle that our innovations transform how people worldwide learn and do science—we are committed to architecting equitable educational systems that empower young people to navigate an increasingly complex world. 

As executive leader of this 95% self-funded organization, I orchestrate a "ventures" portfolio that translates R&D into revenue-generating global products and mobilize the private and public funding necessary for scale. Following pandemic disruption and federal cuts, I seek HBS’s insights to infuse for-profit rigor to our social entrepreneurship model. My goal is to develop a roadmap that positions The Lawrence as a "beacon of light" – demonstrating how adaptive leadership can transform an embattled field and inspire tomorrow.