Laura Formentini

I am an author, nonprofit photographer, and trauma recovery advocate. While working as an advocate to encourage people to travel, see more of the world, and catalyze positive global change, I became a child welfare activist and a supporter of the prevention of cruelty to animals. My philanthropic work spans the globe, touching lives in Puerto Rico, Kenya, Malawi, Italy, and many countries in Asia.

Over the years, I have sponsored over forty children through Plan International, an organization that advocates for children’s rights and equality for girls. I am currently partnering with them to write a book revealing untold stories about the positive impacts of child sponsorship.

I am also writing “Coming Home,” a memoir about my time in Africa, and finding creative ways to travel safely as I continue to spread the message that practicing “Love in Action” not only brings healing to our personal lives, but holds the key to healing the world. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Archaeology and Art History from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and have worked as an archaeologist in many European countries.

Twenty-One Olive Trees: A Mother’s Walk Through the Grief of Suicide to Hope and Healing marks my debut as a novelist. It is a book dedicated to my son who passed away and who was an empath as myself and it is my hope that it will encourage empaths and highly sensitive people to bring about the changes that our society is so strongly in need of.