Hello, my name is Karen.

I am a sociocultural anthropologist by training, having conducted extensive cross-cultural research in Ecuador at the intersections of resource extraction, race, and class.

I also have extensive museum experience, having worked at small, state museums in Wisconsin and Illinois and large, national museums in Washington, DC. I hold a minor in Heritage Studies and Public History at the University of Minnesota.

After spending seven years in graduate school and receiving my PhD in 2023, I made the rather easy decision to leave academia.

While I loved conducting research, I disliked having to constantly apply for grants, to prove my and my research’s worth, and was especially tired of being one of the only Black people in predominately white spaces.

After obtaining my degree, I decided to take my qualitative research, analytical, and interpersonal skills that I had learned over the years as a student, to the non-academic world.

I am currently working as a Design Strategist at the African American Leadership Forum in Minneapolis, MN. As a Design Strategist, I work with the Innovation and Design team in utilizing insights and innovative solutions to design projects centered on Black people and communities, to advance racial equity.