Sarah has been making a difference in the Education Sector for more than twenty-five years.
Sarah Wolman is CEO & Founder of LIGHTBULB, which helps foundations and other social impact organizations increase their impact through transformative experiences. Sarah has spent roughly half of her career working in and with schools, non-profits and education providers, and the other half working for and with education-focused foundations. Throughout her career, whether in the classroom, trainings, convenings, speaking engagements or consulting, Sarah “walks the talk” of Hands-on, Minds-on Learning. She has designed, facilitated and delivered unique convenings and “LIGHTBULB Experiences” for a wide range of social mission organizations around the world. Sarah has also presented and keynoted for audiences of all sizes on the subjects of Playful Learning, the importance of play, early childhood development, holistic education and Whole Child approaches.
Before founding LIGHTBULB, Sarah served in multiple roles at the LEGO Foundation, including Senior Advisor, Senior Director for Programmes & Partnerships, and Head of Partnerships for North America. Her work as one of the chief architects of the annual LEGO Idea Conference, a global gathering focused on learning through play, inspired much of her work at LIGHTBULB, where she helps funders and other mission-driven organizations make key decisions, set strategy, learn from grantees, share with other funders, and help lift up the learning sector. Through engaging, hands-on, customized and co-created experiences, Sarah and the LIGHTBULB team help a wide range of clients amplify and accelerate their impact. Outside of her work at LIGHTBULB, Sarah has served as a grant reviewer for the LEGO Foundation’s Build a World of Change, Trust for Learning, Yield Giving, Lever for Change and others. As a Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School, Sarah prepared students to teach in 8th grade classrooms in Harlem through “Teaching Law in the Community.” She has served on multiple advisories in the education sector and holds multiple certifications, including as a certified LEGO Serious Play trainer. She most recently completed a training around “Skin in the Game,” which explores the relationships between racism and anti-semitism. Sarah holds a BA from Columbia College and a JD from Columbia Law School. She lives with her partner in Montclair, New Jersey, where she is a leader in her local community and a proud public school parent of three.
Read a profile of Sarah in The Glasshammer here.