Surabhi Lal is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Service at NYU's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. She is rooted in the belief that we can create a better future of work that is grounded in our humanity and collective belonging. A boundary-spanning leader, she has worked in social impact, higher education, start-ups, and workforce development before starting her own consulting practice, SL Collaborative Ventures. Working in and across organizations, she sees the interstitial connections between people and organizations to create spaces where people feel connected to their work and each other in remote, hybrid, and in-person environments. She is multi-passionate with a strong sense of curiosity which she brings to her roles as a facilitator, consultant, creator and host of SIPS & Leadership, CliftonStrengths coach, and educator. Using empathy and strategy she has coached thousands of job seekers (including many Wagner students and alumni), entrepreneurs, and organizations to help them create a better future of work.
She is pursuing a PhD in Leadership and Change where her research is focused on understanding the ecosystem of belonging in the workplace. In addition to savoring her craft, she feeds her creativity (literally) through exploring food markets, cooking, travel, and dining, and is a parent to an active and curious teen in NYC. She holds a Master of Education from The University of Vermont, and bachelor degrees from Virginia Tech in Agricultural Economics and Liberal Studies.