Lauren Click - How a Small Apartment Launched a National Nonprofit

Lauren Click is the award-winning founder and executive director of Let's Go Compost, a nonprofit making composting accessible to all. What started with a failed $500 composting device in a high-rise apartment has blossomed into a national movement, providing free resources to schools and communities across all 50 states.Lauren shares her unexpected journey into the world of waste, which began not in a garden, but in a high-rise apartment in Scottsdale, Arizona. Fueled by frustration with a greenwashed composting gadget, she discovered the simple power of worm composting thanks to her sister in Brooklyn. This newfound hobby of building worm bins from discarded bakery buckets soon connected her with a surprising community: teachers. Realizing the immense need for accessible and affordable composting education in schools, a passion project was born.Lauren recounts the organic growth of Let's Go Compost, from a one-woman operation funded out of pocket to a nationally recognized nonprofit. She details winning the Stanley 1913 Creator Fund and being selected for the prestigious Mercedes-Benz beVisioneers fellowship.Episode in a glance- From Arts and Crafts to a Passion for Waste- The $500 Composting Device that Sparked a Movement- From a Hobby to Connecting with Teachers at Seed Swaps- The Shift from Passion Project to Nonprofit- How Winning the Stanley Creator Fund Changed Everything- The Mercedes-Benz beVisioneers Global FellowshipAbout Lauren ClickLauren Click is the founder and executive director of Let's Go Compost, a nonprofit dedicated to making composting accessible. She is a Mercedes-Benz beVisioneers fellow, a Stanley 1913 Creator Fund recipient, and was named the US Composting Council's 2025 Young Professional of the Year. Lauren's work focuses on eliminating barriers to composting by providing free bins, curriculum, and resources to empower individuals and schools across the country to make a positive environmental impact.Connect with Lauren Click and her workWebsite →  https://www.letsgocompost.org/LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenclick/Send us a message!