Professional History
EXPERIENCE
HEALTH, TECH & SCIENCE JOURNALIST & AUTHOR - 2014 - Present
LaVonne Roberts is a health, technology, and science journalist. She has an MFA in Nonfiction from The New School with an Interdisciplinary Science concentration and a Bachelor’s degree in Written Arts from Bard College, with a Mind, Brain, and Behavior (MBB) concentration and Environmental Science concentration. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Wired, Popular Science, Neo.Life, The Independent, and many other publications. LaVonne is a contributing author and the editor of Applied Virtual Reality in Healthcare, and has contributed to six anthologies, all from major publishers.
AUTHOR, EDITOR, & FOUNDER WRITE ON - 2008 - Present
Former Editor of Rio Review. Responsible for directing the editorial team, editing and proofing, managing freelance writers, selecting and coordinating features, author interviews, and writing articles and essays. Editor of Live WIth LIT for LIT MAGAZINE, the literary journal for The New School’s MFA program. Responsible for the implementation of social networking strategies on Twitter and Facebook. She is the founder of WRITE ON!, a Brad College funded and staffed initiative which facilitates free writing workshops for marginalized populations. LaVonne is certified as a workshop leader by Amherst Writers and Artists and leads creative writing workshops using the AWA method.
FOUNDER SQRLABZ.COM & ANGEL INVESTOR - 2000 - Present
Technology incubator providing access to financial, human, and intellectual capital. Post IPO, invested and advised multiple tech startups.
XOOM - 1996 - 2000
Co-founder of early Web giant Xoom, an early dot-com company that provided free unlimited space web hosting, which at one time ranked as the 7th largest Internet site in the world. From its inception to its IPO, with a valuation in excess of $6 billion, Xoom was one of the most successful first online communities of the internet 1.0 generation. Xoom was ultimately purchased by NBC, forming NBC Internet, the first global integrated media company.
EDUCATION
THE NEW SCHOOL-NEW YORK, NY - MFA NONFICTION - MAY 2020
BARD COLLEGE - RED HOOK, NY - BA WRITTEN ARTS - MAY 2018
SCIENCE COMMUNICATIONS FELLOWSHIP – BANFF 2021 – WRITING, PRODUCING & BROADCASTING MULTIMEDIA SCIENCE
SCIENCE JOURNALISM FORUM FELLOWSHIP—2021
SERVICE
The Scott-Morgan Foundation - Trustee - 2022-Present
Qwoted - Media Advisory Board 2023 - Present
Arn Labs - Advisory Board Member - 2022 - Present
Scholastic - Judge - 2016 - Present
Write On! - Founder - 2016 - Present
The Felix Organization - Board Member - 2008 - 2017
The Constellation Foundation - Founder - 2011 - 2014
Kevin Youkilis' Hits for Kids - Founding Board Member - 2006 - 2010
The Paramount Theatre - Century Club Board Member - 2007 - 2012
Doug's House HIV/AIDS Hospice - Co-chair - 2004 - 2005
Fellowships, Residencies & Awards
Heidelberg Laureate Forum Reporting Grant recipient 2023
National Association of Science Writers Perlman Mentor & Editor 2023
Science Journalism Forum Fellowship—2021
Banff Science Communications Fellowship 2021
“A Hero Behind the Headset,” Front Page Award nominee
MIT Tech Review Fellow 2021
Drizzle Review Diversity Fellow 2020
WordFest Anthology winner 2019
Dan’s Paper’s Essay winner 2013 Literary Prize