Karen joined The Forum in Spring 2023 as a member of the newly created Innovation and Design team. As a Design Strategist, she works immersively with her team in utilizing insights and innovative solutions to design projects centered on Black people and communities, to advance racial equity.

A sociocultural anthropologist by training, Karen has conducted extensive cross-cultural research in Latin America at the intersections of resource extraction, race, and class. Through a commitment to a deep understanding of local networks and community cultures, she specializes in building strong relationships with diverse communities and stakeholders. Karen’s cultural bridge-building skills benefit her immensely in her role at AALF.

An Anthropology Ph.D. graduate from the University of Minnesota, she holds minors in Heritage Studies & Public History and Feminist Critical Sexuality Studies. Karen also has her master’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota, along with her bachelor’s degree from Beloit College, where she double majored in Anthropology and English Literature, minoring in Spanish.