Download high-resolution photoLaura Castellano is the Senior Director, Conferences & Events at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement for Teaching. In this role, she co-leads the development and implementation strategy for the Summit and Convenings as well as oversees all aspects of event execution.

Laura comes to the Foundation from NextFlex, a manufacturing institute established by the Department of Defense’s manufacturing technology program, where she managed planning, design, programing, and production of all live, virtual, and hybrid events for attendees from government, military, universities, and industry. There she specialized in complete event management of programs, logistics, and communications with key internal and external stakeholders and managed all logistics for industry tradeshow exhibit booths.

Prior to NextFlex, she was the Event Director at IHS Markit where she managed marketing, speakers, sponsors, budgets, staff, and logistics for global technical conferences in the US and Europe. She has also worked as an Event Manager at the NPD Group, iSuppli, and Stanford Resources managing all aspects of their consumer electronic and electronic displays events and tradeshows in the US and Europe. Lastly, she co-founded ETC Event Management where she worked with clients on complete corporate event management and consulting.

Laura earned a Bachelor of Science degree from San Jose State University and is a volunteer and supporter of both Children’s Musical Theater San Jose and the San Jose English Cursillo Movement.