Lauren Thompson – Small Business Program Manager – Somerset County
Hi, I’m Lauren Thompson. I am currently the Small Business Program Manager at JARI and have been supporting small businesses since 2016. I’ve spent the majority of my life in Somerset County, graduating from Shanksville-Stonycreek High School, and then went on to pursue a degree in Graphic Design from CalU.
In my time at JARI I have assisted in a handful of roles. I started right out of college in a Communications/Administrative role handling internal marketing and design for JARI. As our small business programs grew, I was able to use my graphic design knowledge to help many businesses expand their marketing and design capabilities. In the process of this I’ve been able to assist businesses with thinking through their business plan and how their marketing and brand plays a huge role in the future of their success.
When I thought about what career path I was going to take after graduating college, I never thought a role like this existed. To be able to witness and help so many small businesses in this area get started or expand is a rewarding experience and when a small business in the community celebrates a win, that’s a rewarding win for us too.
Although I am often out and about in the community meeting with small businesses where they are, you can usually find me in our Somerset office, located inside Uptown Works on the diamond of the beautiful Uptown Somerset.
In addition to my role at JARI, I also serve on the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce Board and have recently joined the Somerset Inc. Chalk the Block Committee. I’m excited to engage with entrepreneurs across Somerset County and help you make your mark in your community. Whether you have the start of an idea, or you already exist and are looking to expand, please reach out and see how I can help you!
