MEET THE FOUNDERS
The people behind the work
Strategy meets wellbeing. One shared purpose. For leaders doing work that matters.
our story
CG Squared began with a shared conviction: the skills, training, and opportunities we had been given were not just for us.
Lauren spent years helping organizations translate vision into execution. Chad spent years helping leaders strengthen wellbeing, resilience, and purpose. Over time, we realized we were being called to serve the same leaders — leaders who didn't need strategy in one corner and wellbeing in another. They needed both.
So we combined forces.
As co-founders, partners in life, and partners in this work, we bring complementary strengths to a shared purpose: helping mission-driven organizations become stronger, clearer, and more supported as they fulfill the work they are called to bring into the world.
“Most strategies don't fail in the boardroom. They fail in execution. And for mission-driven organizations, that gap isn't just a business problem — it's a community one.”
Strategic Advisor · Executive Facilitator · Organizational Consultant
LAUREN DUGARD THOMAS
CO-FOUNDER
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Lauren Dugard Thomas is a strategist, facilitator, and organizational advisor who has spent 15+ years helping leaders close the gap between bold vision and real impact.
By training, she's a bioengineer — and that instinct never left. Wherever she shows up, she's asking the same questions: Where is the energy being lost? What are the real constraints? What's the clearest path forward that actually works in the real world? It's how she led inside large organizations, and it's how she shows up for the leaders she serves now.
Before co-founding CG Squared, Lauren served as Director of Strategy and Innovation at Blue Shield of California, where she led enterprise-wide initiatives, built the organization's strategy-to-execution process, and worked with cross-functional leaders to create alignment and momentum around the work that mattered most. Her background spans the healthcare ecosystem — from health plans to medical device manufacturers — and across every engagement, the throughline was the same: helping organizations stop planning and start executing.
Today, Lauren's practice is built around the leaders she is most called to serve — the executive directors, CEOs, and leadership teams of nonprofits and social impact organizations doing work that changes lives. She partners with them as a strategic thought partner, facilitator, and trusted advisor, helping them build the clarity, alignment, and execution capability to bring their missions to life.
Lauren holds a BS in Biological Engineering from Cornell University and a dual MBA/MPH from UC Berkeley. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and children.
CHAD J. THOMAS
CO-FOUNDER
Wellbeing Strategist · Leadership Coach · Executive Facilitator
“Wellbeing is not a luxury — it's a fundamental right. My work is dedicated to breaking down perceived barriers and creating pathways to holistic success for every person.”
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Chad Thomas is a wellbeing expert with over 15 years of experience in transforming workplaces and communities. Chad Thomas stands at the intersection of social innovation and meaningful change. His unique approach combines lived experience, academic insights, and grassroots activism to address the complex wellbeing challenges faced by underserved communities.
Chad is a member of BetterUp’s leadership team where he leads the work on integrating the world’s largest digital coaching solution into the wellbeing and HR programs for the largest companies in the world.
As a sought-after speaker, Chad brings raw authenticity and strategic insight to every presentation. He challenges traditional narratives about mental health and professional development. His practical and actionable strategies have been leveraged by scores of organizations and non-profits to transform culture.
Chad graduated from Boston College, with a degree in Human Developmental Psychology and earned a Master of Applied of Positive Psychology from The University of Pennsylvania. He resides in Atlanta, GA with his wife and two young boys.
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