Laura Talmus founded Beyond Differences along with her husband, Averell “Ace” Smith, following the unexpected death of their daughter Lili Rachel Smith in October 2009.   

Passionate about bringing awareness to the issue of adolescent social isolation, Laura is the full-time Executive Director of Beyond Differences, a student-led social justice organization dedicated to ending social isolation among middle school students.     

Beyond Differences’ Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum is now being used in over 9000 schools across all 50 states.  They are best known for the national holiday, No One Eats Alone Day.  

Before the COVID pandemic, Laura secured funding from the Marin Community Foundation to undertake a groundbreaking initiative to Advance Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in California in partnership with California Governor Gavin Newsom, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.  The Advance SEL initiative helped inform the California SEL Task Force 2.0, a state-wide coalition to address children’s mental health and social emotional learning needs, on which she served as a member.      

Laura has received numerous awards and recognitions including being selected as an AARP Purpose Prize Fellow, a Jefferson Prize Award winner, receiving the MLK, Jr. Humanitarian Award from the Marin County Human Rights Commission, the Courageous Leaders Award from the Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco, and the North Bay Business Journal’s Award’s Nonprofit Leadership Award.  She is also a member of the Washington, D.C.-based organization, the Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness (CESIL).  

Laura and Ace live in Marin County, California.  They have a son, Abram Smith (daughter-in-law, Aine Minihane-Smith), and two beautiful grandchildren.