Laura Cooke co-founded Positive Foundry after going on her growth journey. Stress-related illnesses led her to discover that she wasn’t alone. In fact, most Americans are not thriving despite the plethora of available science, tools, and proven techniques. Determined to share this learning with others, Laura teamed up with Doug Smith, Happiness guru, and her husband, Chris Cooke, and together they have created an impactful and scalable program designed to help organizations thrive through the well-being of their people. The core belief that “when individuals flourish, organizations flourish” has guided this journey, along with some forward-thinking Columbus business leaders who took a bet on this new venture and saw significant results. When people have the opportunity to learn and practice well-being skills at work, they perform better, built trust, enhance the culture, and drive positive business results. They also show up better at home, which improves our families and the community at large.

With an infectious smile and tenacious work ethic, Laura Cooke wants to change the trajectory of well-being and wellness of Americans through teaching the science and skills to thrive in life. She is a voracious learner, educator and mother who is passionate about personal growth and helping people flourish. Laura is also a frequent featured guest speaker at Canyon Ranch Wellness Resorts.

Through her many positions in business leadership both in the corporate world and in education, Laura’s true passion has always been about helping people. She has been trained at the Institute for Positive Education in Australia and the Flourishing Institute and holds a Certificate of Applied Positive Psychology, a BA in Business from Wittenberg University, and a Masters of Business Administration from the Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan.

In previous roles, she has served as Business Director at Metatec Corporation, an entrepreneur starting a multi-media publishing company and a meeting facilitation business, and Assistant Head of The Wellington School. She has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees at The Wellington School and the Executive Committee of the Childhood League and has volunteered with several other nonprofit organizations in Central Ohio. She is a mother to four daughters and two dogs, and she has been married to her college sweetheart and business partner, Chris, for over thirty years. In her free time, Laura enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking in nature, playing any racquet sport, and well… building Positive Foundry!

Energetic and approachable, Chris Cooke applies his deep passion for helping people and organizations with his background in technology consulting, advanced analytics, and digital experiences, which allows him to efficiently work across many industries and disciplines in rolling out Positive Foundry’s program.

Chris is a former technology executive who has started companies, led teams, and consulted with some of the best brands in the retail and software industries. His experience in private and public technology companies provides him with a global perspective on the challenges that growing companies face and the importance of cultivating a culture of engaged and thriving employees. In addition, Chris served as the President and Vice President of the Columbus Crew Foundation and previously served on the Board of Directors for Mizzen+Main, a leading men’s fashion brand.

Chris holds a Certificate of Applied Positive Psychology and received a BA in Business from Wittenberg University and an MBA from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. He is a husband to Laura and father to four daughters.