Lauren Hargreaves

Lauren Hargreaves founded EmpaCore with a simple, powerful belief: technology should center people — their dignity, their experiences, their humanity.

Lauren’s journey into tech was far from traditional. After working in community and youth development, her path took an unexpected turn following the loss of her premature twin daughters. Determined to transform grief into growth, she enrolled in a Level 2 IT course at a local college. What began as a coping mechanism soon became a passion. Balancing studies with raising her son as a single parent, Lauren continued to advance, culminating in the recent completion of her Computer Science degree.

Through it all, one truth became clear: technology is leaving too many people behind. At design tables and decision rooms, empathy and lived experience are too often absent. Lauren created EmpaCore to change that — combining her background in community work with her technical expertise to advocate for tech that serves real people, not just idealized users.

My Mum always taught me — "You can't change the world, but you can change the little parts you touch."