Lauri De Cicco is an experienced Silicon Valley executive, West Point graduate, disabled veteran,
and the single mother of two young daughters. Throughout her experiences as an executive, an
Army officer, and a mother, Lauri felt the impact of gender bias – both conscious and
subconscious. After accepting this bias as the norm and minimizing the impact of gender bias
for many years, she began to see things differently when thinking of how “the norm” impacts
her daughters’ lives and futures, and the futures of children everywhere.
It was this personal motivation that led Lauri to found GIFT, Girls Inspired For Tomorrow.
Lauri began her career in the Army leading strategic satellite deployments to support
communications in areas of global conflict. Subsequently, she served in South Korea where she
led technology support for dispersed air bases and military intelligence. In the late 1990’s Lauri
was one of very few women assigned to the light infantry prior to the legal integration of
women into combat positions.
Upon concluding her military service, Lauri moved to Silicon Valley where her combination of
leadership expertise and background in technology led her to executive roles within
organizations ranging from start-up to large global corporations. She holds an MBA from UNC-
Chapel Hill and has been a guest lecturer at the Haas School of Business as well as at Kenan-
Flagler Business School. She is currently on the Board of Advisors for Human’s for AI as well as
an active volunteer in various other organizations. When not working, Lauri and her daughters
pursue as many adventures as possible along with their two dogs and extended family.
