Jill Bauman ’87 Accelerates Aid in the Wake of the Los Angeles Wildfires
Jill Bauman ’87 led the emergency 24/7 effort to develop the LA Disaster Relief Navigator.
On February 6, Los Angeles Mayor Bass announced the launch of the LA Disaster Relief Navigator, a human-centered first-of-its-kind online tool that helps fire-impacted Angelenos get the help they need.
Jill Bauman, founder and CEO of Imagine LA, led the emergency 24/7 effort to develop the LA Disaster Relief Navigator for Mayor Bass and the Mayor’s Fund in coordination with officials from the county, state, and the Red Cross. This first-of-its-kind human-centered online tool was built by the Better Angels technology team with support from the Annenberg and R&S Kayne Foundations.
“People who have lost their home and/or their income because of the wildfires are not only in shock, but they are also paralyzed by information overload. This solution is human-centered and gives them a clear, actionable plan,” Bauman said.
The solution is designed to enable people to easily navigate every aspect of fire relief, including applying for federal, state, and local government assistance, making insurance claims, locating temporary and permanent housing solutions, home damage remediation, and other critical services. The human-centered design provides victims with a personalized recovery action plan based on their specific situation, making the recovery process immediately actionable and putting the community on a path to recovery. For those in severe economic hardship, the Navigator connects people needing additional help with case management personnel.
Jill Bauman is a recognized expert in building new models to address family homelessness and poverty. She is the founding CEO of Imagine LA and the co-founder of Benefit Navigator. Imagine LA is a nonprofit organization working to end the cycle of family poverty and homelessness by preventing first-time and repeat homelessness and equipping families to maintain housing stability and thrive long-term. The Benefit Navigator is an online tool and “one-stop shop” for case managers, individuals, and families to help them understand, access, and navigate the complex public benefits and tax credit landscape. The solution was built to provide simple human-centered tools, services, and data for case managers and individuals, and to chart a permanent path out of poverty towards economic mobility and financial security.
Jill Bauman is the Founding CEO of Imagine LA and the co-founder of Benefit Navigator. Prior to her 18+ years at Imagine LA, Jill was a successful entrepreneur, an investment banker, and a software designer and programmer. Jill earned an MPPM / MBA from the Yale School of Management in 1987 and BA in Economics from Smith College in 1982. She currently serves as chair of the Yale SOM Alumni Advisory Board.
