Laura Callanan, founding partner of Upstart Co-Lab, is connecting impact investing to the creative economy. Since 2016, Upstart has framed the creative economy as an impact investing priority, garnered international attention for impact investing in the creative economy, and directly mobilized $45 million in alignment with its mission. Before launching Upstart Co-Lab, Laura led all grant-making programs, operations, and research as senior deputy chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. As a consultant with McKinsey & Company’s Social Sector Office, Laura led work on social innovation, sustainable capitalism, and social impact assessment. She previously served as senior adviser at the United Nations Development Programme; executive director of the Prospect Hill Foundation; and associate director at the Rockefeller Foundation where, in addition to her responsibilities managing the endowment, she co-led the Foundation’s first impact investing efforts which included two investments in the creative economy: Smithsonian Folkways Records and netomat.