Changing a Diaper, Be Right Back: Motherhood and Working at Envest
By: Laura Dreese, Director of Strategy – August 2026
“Changing a diaper, be right back.”
Or sometimes: “Can we take a five-minute break so I can calm him down?”
I’ve said some version of those words more times than I can count over the past four years since becoming a mom while working at Envest. After recently returning from maternity leave with my second child, I’ve found myself saying them all over again.
Balancing full-time work with two young children is, without question, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Some days it feels like I’m switching roles every few minutes—from team meetings to snack requests, from strategic planning to diaper changes, from spreadsheets to reading Thomas the Train. Often, my most focused work time is from 5-7 am when I am the only one awake.
It’s not always graceful (it rarely is), but it’s also filled with precious moments that I wouldn’t trade for anything. My days are peppered with the countless small moments that make up early childhood. Those are experiences I would have largely missed if my children were in daycare full-time.
What has made this season possible is something I don’t take for granted: Envest’s approach to parenthood.
Envest treats its team members as whole people, not just as workers. Being a parent isn’t viewed as something that has to be hidden or squeezed into evenings and weekends. It’s just part of who we are. That means often having a baby or toddler on a Zoom call, taking a few minutes to help a little one settle down, or understanding that life sometimes happens in the middle of the workday.
I’ve never encountered another workplace that embraces parenthood in quite this way.
Moreover, Envest’s vision statement is about meeting human needs worldwide. This means that in addition to caring about people in Uganda, Peru, and Tajikistan, we also care about meeting human needs right here in our own team.
When I returned to Envest in 2022, I took a substantial pay cut. To me, the trust and flexibility that Envest provides has been worth every penny and more. I believe that the approach benefits Envest as well. When people are able to integrate their work with the realities of family life, they’re more likely to stay, grow with the organization, and bring their best selves to the mission over many years.
To Jon, thank you for leading with the belief that people don’t have to choose between meaningful work and being present for their families. And to the entire Envest team, thank you for the patience, encouragement, and support you’ve shown—not just to me, but to one another during all of life’s messiness.
So if you hear me say, “Changing a diaper, be right back,” thank you for waiting a few minutes.
I’ll be back.