ABOUT KAREN
I am a leadership strategist, executive coach, and speaker with the heart of a scientist and the eye of a fashion designer. I’m on a mission to help women of color leaders prevail in organizations and systems which weren’t designed for them.
Women are often told to walk away from tables that don’t serve them, but not told how to strategize and claim power where they are. I help women of color leaders use pattern recognition and strategy to gain the recognition, resources, and opportunities they are often denied in their workplaces and industries, while maintaining power and balance.
In my 15+ years as a senior organizational leader, business owner, and educator in cutthroat, male-dominated industries, I developed leaders, teams, and organizational culture. I have also sustained and overcome discrimination, microaggressions, public attacks on social media, and colleagues attempting to discredit me, scapegoat me, and take credit for my accomplishments.
Most popular leadership frameworks were built with men in mind, and have been recycled for women and women of color without any consideration of our challenges. It is why I created The Equilibrium Framework, inspired by real experiences of women of color senior leaders.
Former clients who were “not always recognized or amplified”, “emotionally and mentally depleted”, and “contorting [them]selves just to be accepted and 'stay small and nonthreatening'", are now able to “build alliances to have greater influence inside predominantly white, male dominated organizational structures”, “remain authentic to myself while setting clear boundaries about how I should be treated” and “navigate power dynamics with men I manage on my teams”.
In addition to leadership development coaching and consulting, speak regularly on applications of The Equilibrium Framework, including how to effectively negotiate, manage up, and maneuver workplace politics to overcome challenges.
I serve on the Advisory Board of Mercy University’s Women in Leadership program, advising on curriculum and mentoring future women leaders. I have contributed to women-centric initiatives such as the Women-Centric Design Toolkit. I am a certified Healing-Centered Engagement practitioner, and center agency in the pathway to transformation.
Book a consultation to see how the Equilibrium Framework can transform your leadership or leadership development programs. Follow me on Linkedin for upcoming events and posts on the experiences of women of color leaders.
As a woman of color leader, I've navigated challenging, toxic, and harmful situations in various capacities and environments:
- when I spoke up
- when I didn't speak upÂ
- when I was successful
- when I was visible
- when I was honestÂ
- when I had different opinions
- when I implemented change
In my own experience and my experience developing women of color leaders, I found recurring patterns in how we are treated, and how we navigate the unique obstacles we face. And as the stakes get higher, the isolation, power plays, and challenges to our power become more significant.
I experimented with strategies until I found the ones that worked. Finding effective ways to navigate power dynamics, fragile emotions, and harmful policies and practices while remaining aligned with my values and keeping my options open.
I built the Equilibrium Framework to replace behaviors that accelerate our depletion and demise with a rock-solid leadership foundation that can withstand the tests of senior leadership in corporate, non-profit, and academic spaces.
The framework is founded upon competencies we are already familiar with, but not leveraging optimally towards our advancement and well-being. I use this framework and other tools to assist women of color leaders in securing their positioning, advancing in their organizations or industries.
UPCOMING EVENTS
How do you measure your success as a leader? And how do the early messages we receive shape the way we lead and make decisions? Michele and I and a few special guests will be discussing this, and discussing how we can reshape our thinking so we can stop getting in the way of our own success
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