Sara Deren

Sara Deren is the founder and CEO of Experience Camps, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting grieving children. Experience Camps offers no-cost programs for children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver. Deren holds an MBA from Columbia University and spent 12 years in the financial services industry before focusing her career on camp leadership and nonprofit management. She leverages her business background to scale the impact of philanthropy through best practices and organizational efficiency.

The creation of Experience Camps was inspired by Deren's transition from a corporate career in New York City to life at Camp Manitou in Maine, where her husband, Jon, is a camp owner and director. Motivated by the transformative power of summer camp, Deren sought to provide similar opportunities for children who might not otherwise have access. Recognizing a significant need for grief support, she established Experience Camps, which began with a single session for 27 boys and 30 volunteer counselors. The program has since expanded to serve 1,500 campers each summer across seven locations nationwide.

Experience Camps integrates traditional summer camp activities with a clinically informed peer support model, helping children normalize grief and build lasting connections. Under Deren's leadership, the organization has launched national campaigns, conducted original research, and accumulated more than 500,000 hours of direct engagement with grieving children. The nonprofit has also expanded its digital presence, offering youth-driven online content and initiatives such as "Grief Quest" on Roblox, which educates children on supporting peers through grief.

Deren's leadership has been recognized by the nonprofit and entrepreneurial sectors. She received the Best Entrepreneurial, Scaling award from Connecticut Entrepreneur Awards and was named a Patriots Difference Maker by The Kraft Family and Patriots Foundation. Deren has been featured by Causeartist as a nonprofit leader to watch and has served as a mentor at the SXSW festival. She regularly contributes to publications including Thrive and Fast Company. Her work has contributed to reframing the national conversation around childhood grief, highlighting that 5.6 million children in the United States will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18.

Central to Deren's approach is the belief that joy and grief can coexist. Her work focuses on helping children reclaim their childhood by fostering joy and normalcy, while also advocating for broader societal understanding of childhood bereavement and mental health. Deren is recognized as a thought leader in childhood grief, mental health, and community support, bringing a combination of business expertise and commitment to resilience in children to her work and public speaking engagements.