Laura Davidson
PMI Social Impact Program
11:00AM
U.S. Bank Conference Theater
PDUs:
1.0 Power Skills
Project Management for Social Change: Driving impact through PMI Education Foundation & Project Managers Without Borders
PMI Social Impact Programs elevate our world and transform communities through project management. Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), our programs empower youth, support education, promote sustainability, and improve the world for a better future.
At PMI, social impact means using our project management skills to make a difference. By partnering with not-for-profits and driving targeted initiatives, we aim to create sustainable, long-lasting improvements in communities across the globe.
Our efforts align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), focusing on areas like education, health, sustainability, and economic stability. Through strategic volunteerism and Project Management expertise, we empower communities and transform lives.
Learning Objectives
- Social Impact Program Overview
- Program Anchors: PMIEF & PMWB
- Social Impact vs Social Good
- Tools for Social Impact
- How to Get Involved
Speaker Bio
Laura Davidson is a lifelong volunteer, servant leader, project management professional, and public speaker who believes meaningful impact happens when the right people, ideas, and opportunities come together.
Throughout her career, Laura has built her work around one defining strength: connecting people to purpose—and to each other.
As Global Program Manager for Project Managers Without Borders (PMWB), Laura puts that belief into practice every day. She connects nonprofit organizations around the world with experienced project management professionals who volunteer their expertise to help those organizations turn important ideas into achievable, sustainable projects. She builds the relationships, facilitates the conversations, shapes the opportunities, and creates the structure that allows volunteers and nonprofits to succeed together.
Her work with PMWB reflects what she believes about volunteering: it isn't simply about giving time. It's about giving talent, creating opportunity, and helping people use what they know to make a difference.
As a servant leader, Laura leads by listening first. She builds trust, recognizes the strengths others bring to the table, and creates space for people to contribute, grow, and succeed. She has a natural ability to see connections—between people, between ideas, and between what is possible and what is needed.
Her lifelong commitment to volunteering has also taught her how to mobilize people around causes that matter. Whether working with nonprofit leaders, professional volunteers, community organizations, or colleagues, Laura brings people together across organizations, professions, cultures, and perspectives.
As a public speaker, Laura connects through stories, authenticity, and conversation. She has a gift for making complex ideas accessible, finding the human connection within a topic, and inspiring people to move from thinking about change to participating in it.
Her project management experience adds another dimension to her role as a connector. Laura knows how to move from conversation to collaboration, and from collaboration to action. She brings structure without losing the human element—helping people turn possibilities into purposeful projects and meaningful results.
At the heart of Laura's personal brand is a simple belief:
People are capable of extraordinary things when they feel connected—to a purpose, to an opportunity, and to one another.
That is where Laura does her best work: building the connections that help people, organizations, and purpose move forward.