Lauren Manning is a former far-right extremist who began leaving her life of hate behind in 2012, after becoming involved in her teenage years. Since her last tie to the movement was broken by 2015, she has been rebuilding her life and identity. Currently serving as an outreach specialist with ExitUSA, she serves a number of individuals who are looking to disengage from the extremist underground. She has also served as a speaker before, sharing her story publicly.
The catalytic power of this Summit in bringing together those who are devoting their lives to pushing back and working to confront, understand and work towards solutions around hate in our society is a noble and difficult task. The Summit not only energized those who attended but led to connecting the dots in a global network of those doing this work. The stories of the victims of hate were painful to witness but their courage in coming forward was inspirational. Those who attended left energized with the hope that by working together solutions can be forged.