Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Wakileh.
Hi Lauren, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I spent much of my career in communications, working across national and international environments where the smallest details could shape how people experienced a brand. That work taught me to think beyond a message or a moment. The most lasting impressions come from how people are made to feel.
WJL Curated grew from that perspective. I saw an opportunity to bring more intention to gifting: to choose objects people would genuinely enjoy, present them beautifully, and make the entire experience feel personal. What began as a creative idea has become a Houston-based gifting concierge serving businesses, real estate professionals, and private clients.
Today, WJL Curated works as a hospitality partner for a select number of clients. We work closely and discreetly with each one to understand their relationships, anticipate meaningful moments, and manage the details from planning through delivery. My background in communications still guides the work, but now I get to express it through something tangible: an experience someone can open, use, and remember.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Building WJL Curated has been rewarding, but it has also required patience and conviction. When you create a business for brands and individuals who care deeply about how others experience them, you are speaking to a particular kind of client. They understand that hospitality is more than a gesture. It is a way to build trust, express appreciation, and make people feel genuinely valued.
The challenge has been communicating that value while building a service that lives up to it. Every choice matters, from understanding the relationship and selecting the right gift to managing timing, presentation, and delivery. I want clients to feel confident placing those details in our hands, which means earning their trust through care and consistency.
My ambition is to serve the right clients nationally and, in time, internationally. I’m being deliberate about how WJL Curated grows so that the work remains personal, discreet, and thoughtful at every scale.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
WJL Curated is a gifting concierge and hospitality partner for businesses, real estate professionals, and private clients. We help our clients recognize the relationships and moments that matter through considered gifts, thoughtful presentation, and careful execution. For those who want ongoing support, we can also plan their gifting calendar and manage each occasion from concept through delivery.
The heart of the business is personal. In my family, giving and hospitality are ways we show love. As a devout Roman Catholic, I believe there is dignity in making someone feel seen, welcomed, and cared for. Those values shape the way I approach every gift.
My professional background gave me another lens on that idea. I’ve worked in Hollywood productions, major events, and communications across the United States and the Middle East, including in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and with NEOM in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), a project often described as the world’s largest startup. Across those settings, I learned how much preparation goes into an experience that feels effortless to the person receiving it. I bring that understanding to WJL Curated.
What I’m most proud of is building a business around care and discernment. We work closely and discreetly with a select number of clients so we can understand the relationships behind each occasion. I want the recipient to feel genuinely considered, while our client’s own taste and generosity shine through.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I consider myself a risk taker, although my risks have often looked like reinvention. I’ve built a life and career across Los Angeles, Nashville, New York City, Abu Dhabi, and now Houston. Each move asked me to find my footing in a new place, understand a different culture, and remain open to opportunities I could not have planned in advance.
Professionally, I’ve moved between industries and built relationships with very different business audiences. Each has its own priorities, expectations, and language. Learning to listen first and communicate in a way that resonates has been as important as the willingness to make a change. I’ve also opened a business and created and scaled a speakers bureau for C-suite leaders, both of which required me to build something before I knew exactly how it would unfold.
Launching WJL Curated is another risk I’ve chosen to take. I’m building it for clients who understand the value of hospitality and want to invest in their relationships with care. That takes patience and conviction. I’ve learned that being outside my comfort zone does not necessarily mean I’m on the wrong path. Often, it means I’m growing into the next part of it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @wjlcurated
