Fran Hauser is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, champion of women in the workplace, and a LinkedIn Top Voice.

She has spoken at over 200 organizations, including Meta, Google, Unilever, Blackrock, NPR, Mastercard, and The Conference for Women. As a former Fortune 500 executive and active start-up investor – who has funded over 40 female-founded companies – Fran’s insights have appeared in media outlets including Forbes, CNBC, Fast Company, Fortune, Elle, Refinery29, and Business Insider.

Fran is the author of two books that have been hailed as modern-day bibles for professional women striving to create careers they love while staying true to themselves. The Myth of the Nice Girl (2018, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) has been translated into nine languages and earned the prestigious title of “Best Business Book of the Year, 2018” by Audible. Its runaway success formed the catalyst for her acclaimed thought-leadership platform. The follow-up workbook Embrace the Work, Love Your Career (2022, Collective Book Studio) has become the go-to curriculum for women’s affinity groups nationwide.

Fran’s publishing journey was so rewarding that she created Bookbound, a platform dedicated to helping female non-fiction writers get published. Together with her partner, Bethany Saltman, the platform is anchored by the Bookbound podcast and offers additional resources such as a Substack, book club, and e-book.

In December 2024, Fran opened Bedford Books, the first-ever bookstore in her hometown of Bedford, NY. The bookstore combines her passion for storytelling and community-building, allowing her to support and inspire readers and writers alike.

Fran’s current work is informed by 15 years spent in media, from startups where she played an integral role in the $525mm sale of Moviefone to AOL, to ultimately rising the ranks at Time Inc. to President of Digital, where she led innovation, acquisitions and digital expansion for powerhouse media brands People, InStyle, Entertainment Weekly, Essence, and People en Espanol.

Fran is an advisor to Helpusadopt.org and LiveGirl. She lives outside NYC with her husband, two sons, and beloved mini Goldendoodle.

About Lauren Schwarzfeld

Lauren is the Chief Marketing Officer for Rise Literary, a hybrid publisher and book coaching company. She has spent the past 25 years working in sales, fundraising, and marketing through various industries, realizing that the most powerful part of a storied work history is the wide variety of human connection. In 2025 Lauren was the co-producer of TEDxOjai, featuring 12 speakers through the daylong event in Ojai, CA. She is endlessly curious, a lover of books, travel, and new adventures. Lauren lives in Mt. Kisco, NY.