Helios Education Foundation, Senior Vice President, Communications

Helios Education Foundation has hired Lauren Cortinas as Senior Vice President of Communications. With a background spanning Fortune 500 public relations, marketing, non-profit management, business development, government, and education, Ms. Cortinas joins Helios to reignite her passion for education and ensure broad community awareness and support for the organization’s mission and vision. 

Early in her career, Cortinas served as a Spanish teacher in Massachusetts and an AmeriCorps V.I.S.T.A. volunteer with the City of Miami. That led her to a community planning role for the Alliance for Human Services. While simultaneously earning her master’s degree, Lauren worked as a media coordinator for the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade and Monroe and served the City of Miami as a program manager for a Microsoft Digital Literacy grant. 

In 2011, Ms. Cortinas made the jump to corporate life by joining marketing and communications agency, JeffreyGroup, where she progressed to Managing Director of spinoff agency, Pinta. In these roles, she managed a diverse client portfolio that included T-Mobile, NFL, Fox Deportes, Nat Geo Mundo, P&G Prestige, and Hilton Hotels & Resorts, providing public relations strategy and oversight to enhance brand awareness among U.S. Hispanic, Latin American, and general markets. With Pinta’s 2021 acquisition, Ms. Cortinas was named SVP of Chemistry Cultura West, entrusted with the company's overall communications and PR practice, overseeing a mid-size team across the country, and opening the company’s first Phoenix office. Most recently, as Chemistry Cultura’s first-ever Chief Client Officer, Lauren leveraged her Fortune 500 client experience and passion for culture to design and lead the overall strategic execution for clients. Ms. Cortinas’ core mission is to carefully connect brands and organizations to underrepresented audiences historically underserved in the U.S. market.

Cortinas has served as an executive mentor as part of Educate Tomorrow, a board member and supporter of the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) and has also been a member of the LeanIn Miami Circle while also serving on various committees for her children’s school. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from Florida International University along with a certificate in human resources management, and a bachelor’s degree in communications and Hispanic studies from Boston College.

Nella Young and Stephanie Simon led this search with Maria Connor.