Stefan Lanfer

Stefan Lanfer provides strategic and tactical communications leadership for Barr in support of its mission and goals. A member of the Barr Foundation team since 2008, Stefan served in a variety of roles focused on strategy, knowledge management, and communications, until his appointment, in 2014, as the Foundation’s first communications director. Stefan’s writings on communications, philanthropy, and leadership have appeared in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, the Communications Network’s Change Agent journal, and The Foundation Review. He is a board member (and former chair) of The Communications Network.

Prior to his work at the Foundation, Stefan managed executive education programs on strategy for the Palladium Group, and he worked with public school educators to document and share effective practices with the nonprofit Project for School Innovation. Stefan began his career in professional theatres, scouting new plays for several professional theatres, and his creative storytelling outlets continue to include songwriting and playwriting.

Stefan holds an M.B.A. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a BA from Dartmouth College. In 2021 and 2022, Stefan served as a US Fulbright Scholar in Lusaka, Zambia.