As Director of Partner Engagement for ventureLAB, Karen leads the development and management of strategic and collaborative partnerships key to ventureLAB’s clients and stakeholders, and to the evolution of a dynamic regional ecosystem supporting innovation and entrepreneurship.
Karen has experience as a successful founder and entrepreneur of an Ottawa technology firm, and has spent the last 6 years working with not-for-profit business associations and communities on strategic programs involving intelligent communities, gigabit corridors, knowledge mobilization for small businesses and building community-based collaboration ecosystems. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for province of Ontario, a Top 40 Under 40 Alumnus, the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Canada’s Staff Person of the Year Award, and most recently, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.