Lauren Rhoades

About Lauren

• I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado.
• After earning my bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, I moved to Mississippi to serve in an AmeriCorps position.
• Through AmeriCorps, I worked for FoodCorps where I spent two years helping elementary school students learn about healthy foods—I then moved up to serve as the statewide team leader.
• This piqued my interest in healthy foods, prompting me to start my own fermented foods and beverages company—I began selling to farmer’s markets then expanded to wholesale and restaurants.
• I eventually felt burnt out on food, so I closed my business and used the education stipend I received from AmeriCorps to go back to school for a master’s degree in creative writing.
• After graduating, I worked as the director of the Eudora Welty House and Garden, where I taught the public about Eudora Welty’s literary legacy, inspiring a love of reading and literature in others.
• In 2022, I joined the Mississippi Arts Commission, where I currently lead grants and programs to help support the arts in Mississippi.