The founders

Lauren and Gene Woods

Meet Lauren Dominique Woods and Eugene A. “Gene” Woods.

Eugene A. Gene Woods, co-founder of the Woods Canopy Fund — Eugene A. “Gene” Woods

Lauren Dominique Woods

Lauren Dominique Woods is an executive strategist and doctoral researcher with experience spanning executive leadership, marketing, communications, organizational strategy, economic development, and nonprofit leadership.

She previously served as Senior Vice President of Branding, Marketing & Communications at Bright Hope Capital and Executive Vice President of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance Foundation. Earlier in her career, she held donor relations and board leadership roles with Communities In Schools Los Angeles, following experience in luxury hospitality.

Lauren serves on the Teach For America North Carolina Charlotte-Piedmont Triad Advisory Board and is completing doctoral research in international business and management at the International School of Management in Paris.

Eugene A. “Gene” Woods

Eugene A. “Gene” Woods, MBA, MHA, FACHE, is Chief Executive Officer of Advocate Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health systems. With more than three decades of healthcare leadership experience, he previously served as president and CEO of Atrium Health from 2016 to 2022.

Gene has chaired the boards of the American Hospital Association and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and serves on the board of Johnson & Johnson. He is the author of Health, Hope, and Healing for All: Toward More Equitable and Affordable Healthcare and has been recognized among Modern Healthcare’s most influential leaders.

He holds bachelor’s, MBA, and MHA degrees from Pennsylvania State University and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

A personal commitment

The Woods Canopy Fund reflects the people, experiences, and opportunities that have made a lasting difference in Lauren and Gene’s lives. Its giving focuses on organizations serving communities connected to Advocate Health’s operating footprint, while remaining entirely separate from the health system’s institutional philanthropy.

Explore giving priorities

Their story

Lauren began her career as a teacher, an early chapter in a professional life that has also included executive strategy, marketing and communications, economic development, and nonprofit leadership.

Gene grew up primarily in military housing and was the first in his family to attend college. His professional career has spanned more than three decades of healthcare leadership.

The meaning behind the name

The name Woods Canopy Fund reflects the strength, shelter, and possibility represented by a tree.

The roots represent the people, experiences, and values that shape a life. They provide a foundation, connecting people to family, community, and the lessons of those who came before them.

The trunk represents strength and stability. It reflects the relationships, institutions, and organizations that people rely upon as they learn, grow, and navigate life’s opportunities.

The branches represent the many paths life can take. Each extends in a different direction, much like the interests, ambitions, and possibilities people choose to pursue.

The canopy represents shelter, connection, and room to grow. Its reach creates a supportive environment where new possibilities can emerge and flourish.

For Lauren and Gene Woods, the canopy is a meaningful expression of what they hope their family’s giving will support: trusted organizations that open doors, strengthen communities, and help more people pursue the lives they envision for themselves.

Together, the roots, trunk, branches, and canopy reflect a simple belief: when people and organizations have the support to grow, possibilities expand.