Laurada Byers founded the Russell Byers Charter School in Philadelphia in 2001, along with her two stepchildren, Russell Jr. and Alison, in memory of her late husband, Russell Byers, who was a prominent Philadelphia newspaper columnist. She served as the chair of the Byerschool Foundation and has dedicated herself for over twenty-five years to the vision of providing a high-quality public school focused on the whole child and experiential learning. Laurada has previously headed and served on the board of the International House, an organization focused on engaging international students studying in Philadelphia. She also served on the board of the Philadelphia Film Society and was a founder of Philadelphia Charters for Excellence. 

Under the firm Laurada founded, Warthog Productions, she designed two “political” stuffed animals— “Repiglicans” and “Demoquacks”—to teach kids about politics and governance, which she sold at national political conventions. She is the author of two editions of the Book of Blessings: 52 Graces from Around the World, coauthored with Joseph Torsella, and Wild Wisdom: A Warthog’s Tale, an illustrated memoir with art by Natalie Hays Stewart. She has been named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania and holds an MBA from the Fox School of Business at Temple University as well as an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.