A Ph.D. anthropologist with thirty years experience in creating and managing new initiatives, Karen became Executive Director of BioStrategy Partners, Inc. (BioSP) in February 2007.  BioSP is a nonprofit capacity-building organization for idea-stage life sciences technologies and companies with a special focus on technology transfer, scientific founders and first-time entrepreneurs.

Prior to becoming Executive Director, Karen created and ran the BioLaunch611+ KIZ (Keystone Innovation Zone) for the organization.  She was a senior vice president at the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce where she developed the organization’s economy-building agenda, including Select Greater Philadelphia and the CEO Council for Growth.  She was a managing director at Greater Philadelphia First (GPF) prior to its 2003 merger with the Chamber and spearheaded the organization’s knowledge region agenda including the partnership with the region’s BIO affiliates to win BIO 2005 for Philadelphia.  Karen was recruited to GPF in 1997 to implement a workforce development initiative with southeastern Pennsylvania’s four community colleges.  She also created and managed the Business/Academic Partnership for the Information Technology Workforce, an employer consortium to increase the supply of skilled computer science and information technology workers.

Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science & Chinese Studies from Swarthmore College, a doctorate in Anthropology and a certificate in East Asian Studies from Columbia University.  She is a member of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies Advisory Board at Montgomery County Community College.