NEID Member Feature: Laura DeDominicis, Executive Director at Nurturing Minds
Published: September 2025
For Laura DeDominicis, leading Nurturing Minds has been the culmination of a lifelong commitment to global development. Her path began with grassroots work in poverty alleviation, from soup kitchens and shelters in the U.S. to international development with CARE in Tanzania. It was there that she met Polly Dolan, who was laying the groundwork for the Secondary Education for Girls’ Advancement (SEGA) Girls’ School. Drawn to the vision of tackling systemic barriers to girls’ education, Laura joined the Nurturing Minds board, became a hands-on volunteer, later chaired the board, and over a decade ago, stepped in as Executive Director.
Since then, Laura has guided the organization through extraordinary growth. What started with 30 girls in a borrowed classroom now reaches more than 2,500 adolescent girls and young women annually through formal education, life skills, entrepreneurship, and community outreach programs.
Under Laura’s leadership, Nurturing Minds has worked hand-in-hand with SEGA in Tanzania to expand beyond academics, equipping girls with life skills, leadership training, and entrepreneurship opportunities. Approximately 99% of SEGA graduates advance to higher ed, with 80% going on to university (compared with just 3% (men and women!) nationally). Alumni are returning as teachers, mentors, and even board members, creating a ripple effect of change in their communities. Beyond the classroom, programs like Modern Girl (for which program funding was seeded by NEID Global member Imago Dei Fund) provide outreach to rural areas, helping delay early marriage, reduce teen pregnancy, and expand educational pathways for thousands more. With a female president of the country, as well as significant local support, Tanzanian girls graduating from SEGA have role models and community support for their goals.
For Laura, the impact is deeply personal: as she watches SEGA graduates take the reins as role models, innovators, and leaders shaping Tanzania’s future, she recognizes the profound impact of SEGA and Nurturing Minds.
Laura’s longtime NEID journey has influenced her work. Through her participation in the Allied Funder Alliance (founded by Girls Education Collaborative, a former NEID member), commitment to many Giving Circles, leading an education Affinity Group, and cultivating partnerships (including with Jessica Brown and Michael Christian), Laura has met countless NEID members with whom she’s shared experiences, learnings, and inspiration.
Her advice to new members? Join the joyful journey! Being a NEID member is about learning and engaging in new projects and activities not necessarily directly in your own wheelhouse, that provide new insights and inspiration.