Lauren Cortinas

Senior Vice President, Communications

Lauren Cortinas is Senior Vice President, Communications for Helios Education Foundation. In this role, she leads Helios’ communications among internal and external stakeholders. She has worked in various fields that have spanned Fortune 500 public relations, marketing, non-profit management, business development, government, and education. Ms. Cortinas joins Helios to reignite her passion for education and ensure broad community awareness and support for the organization’s mission and vision.

From 2002 to 2005, Ms. Cortinas served as a Spanish teacher in Massachusetts. After relocating to Miami in 2005, she served as an AmeriCorps V.I.S.T.A. volunteer with the City of Miami, later transitioning to a community planning role for the Alliance for Human Services in 2006. While simultaneously earning her master’s degree, Lauren worked as a media coordinator for the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade and Monroe in 2006, and in 2008, serving the City of Miami as a program manager for a Microsoft Digital Literacy grant. In 2011, Ms. Cortinas made the jump to corporate life by joining marketing and communications agency, JeffreyGroup, as an account manager and was soon promoted to account director and then served as Managing Director of spinoff agency, Pinta, in 2014. In these roles, she managed a diverse client portfolio that included T-Mobile, NFL, Fox Deportes, Nat Geo Mundo, P&G Prestige, and Hilton Hotels & Resorts, providing public relations strategy and oversight to enhance brand awareness among U.S. Hispanic, Latin American, and general markets. 

With Pinta’s acquisition by Chemistry in 2021, Ms. Cortinas was named SVP of Chemistry Cultura West, entrusted with the company's overall communications and PR practice, overseeing a mid-size team across the country, and opening the company’s first Phoenix office in 2022. Most recently, Ms. Cortinas was promoted to Chemistry Cultura’s first-ever Chief Client Officer, a custom-made role where Lauren leveraged her Fortune 500 client experience and passion for culture to design and lead the overall strategic execution for clients. Ms. Cortinas’ core mission is to carefully connect brands and organizations to underrepresented audiences historically underserved in the U.S. market.

She has served as an executive mentor as part of Educate Tomorrow, a board member and supporter of the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) and has also been a member of the LeanIn Miami Circle while also serving on various committees for her children’s school.

Ms. Cortinas holds a master’s degree in public administration from Florida International University along with a certificate in human resources management, and a bachelor’s degree in communications and Hispanic studies from Boston College.