Lauren Cantor was introduced to the AMIGOS family when her brother Michael took his first trip in 1989. The narratives he brought back from Mexico wowed her and she became a Volunteer in Ecuador in 1990, then a Project Supervisor in the Dominican Republic in 1991 and finally an Assistant Project Director in Costa Rica in 1993.

Armed with an BA in Astrophysics from Columbia University, and an MBA from Wharton Business School, she has worked in the financial market since 1993.

Her love of travels and exchanging with other cultures has sent her to many destinations over the years, from Tokyo to London, to Rome and to Brazil. An avid cyclist, she has among other things participated in a 500 mile ride from Amsterdam to Paris to raise money for research against AIDS. These days her Italian, Spanish and Portuguese language skills get put to good use through her travels. She is also practicing French with her bilingual nieces.