Lauren Patnaude Joins Pulitzer Center Board

The Pulitzer Center is pleased to announce the election of Lauren Patnaude to our board of directors.

Patnaude is a partner at BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant bank with an advisory and investment platform built to serve the distinct needs of business owners and strategic, long-term investors. At BDT & MSD, she is responsible for both investments and advisory engagements.

Before joining the firm, Patnaude was at the Boston Consulting Group in Chicago, where she focused on corporate, growth, and operational strategy work across the private and public sectors. She previously worked in the investment banking division at Goldman Sachs, where she gained leadership experience in mergers and acquisitions. She began her career at UBS.

“I am honored to support the Pulitzer Center’s renowned work in nurturing journalism that captivates audiences and champions the public good,” said Patnaude. “The Center’s collaborative approach, spanning a global network of journalists and shared resources, enhances its profound impact, and I am eager to contribute to the work of this inspiring team.”

Patnaude is also a director of Balcan Innovations and an observer on the board of WWT. She serves on the leadership council of the Chicago Public Education Fund, the board of the Yale College Alumni Fund, and the Chicago steering committee of the national Women in M&A Network (WiMA). Additionally, she is also an active member of The Chicago Network, an organization of Chicago's most senior and influential women at the forefront of the city’s business, professional, cultural, nonprofit, and educational communities.

“Lauren brings not only important strategic financial expertise to our board but also a passion for improving education systems,” said Lisa Gibbs, Pulitzer Center’s CEO and president. “Her experience will be invaluable as we build on our model that connects the journalism we support to students and teachers.”

Patnaude holds a bachelor’s in economics and history from Yale University and received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She is based in Chicago.

Other members of the Pulitzer Center board include Chairman Richard W. Moore, of New York City; William Bush, co-founder, BDT (now BDT & MSD); Sam Dolnick, assistant managing editor, The New York Times; Azmat Khan, The New York Times journalist and director of the Li Center for Global Journalism at Columbia University; Betsy Karel, board chair, Trellis Fund; Joel Motley, managing director, Public Capital Advisors LLC; Joseph Pulitzer V, of Big Horn, Wyoming; David Rohde, senior executive editor for national security at NBC News; Tracey Riese, president and founder of T.G. Riese &; and Linda Winslow, former executive producer, PBS NewsHour.