After spending twenty-five years building software products and serving as a vice president of engineering at Macromedia and Adobe, she witnessed a sharp decline in the number of women working in tech. Frustrated but galvanized, she knew it was time to switch gears.

In 2014, Karen started the Twitter handle @betterallies to share simple, actionable steps that anyone could take to make their workplaces more inclusive. That Twitter handle became the inspiration for four books: Better Allies®: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces (2019), The Better Allies Approach to Hiring (2020), Belonging in Healthcare (2022), and The Better Allies Way: A Workbook for Being More Inclusive at Work (2024). She also emails a roundup of “5 Ally Actions” to over 35,000 newsletter subscribers every week.

In 2020, her unique approach to allyship was featured in the BBC’s Ally Track tool.

A self-professed public speaking geek, Karen is a highly sought-after and engaging presenter who has delivered talks at hundreds of conferences and corporate events. Her TEDx talk, Women in Tech: The Missing Force, explores the decline in gender diversity in tech, why it’s a problem, and what can be done about it. In addition to speaking herself, Karen is determined to change the ratio for who is on stage giving keynotes and other presentations. To support this goal, she coauthored Present! A Techie’s Guide to Public Speaking with Poornima Vijayashanker.

In addition to speaking about her books, Karen coaches women to be stronger leaders and men to be better allies for members of marginalized groups. Her client roster includes Airbnb, DoorDash, Google, Intuit, and LinkedIn. Her writing on leadership has appeared in Inc., the Daily Beast, Fast Company, and the Muse, and she’s consulted on articles for the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the New York Times.

Karen is a graduate and active alum of Brown University, mentoring students on how to launch their careers. She’s also a member of the board of directors of Digital NEST and on the advisory boards for the Women’s CLUB of Silicon Valley and WEST (Women Entering & Staying in Technology). In 2015, the California State Assembly honored Karen with the Wonder Women Tech Innovator Award for outstanding achievements in business and technology and for being a role model for women.

Are you looking for a leadership coach who understands what it takes to be successful as a woman in tech? Are you a leader who wants to create a more inclusive workplace? Are you seeking an inspirational speaker for your next event? Contact Karen. She looks forward to hearing from you.