3x Founder.
AI Leader.
Storyteller.

I'm a 3x founder, CEO, TEDx speaker, and one of the most visible AI leaders in the Boston startup ecosystem.

Roots in Communication

My career began in Manhattan's largest advertising agency, getting a front row seat on learning the fundamentals of creating brands that stick and messaging that works. A few years later, I started my own media company, which I grew to seven figures in under two years by flipping the industry's race to the bottom model on its head — creating high-value, experiential storytelling packages that brands couldn't resist. I was recruited as CMO of a tech startup and quickly rose to President.

Then I walked away.

Burned out and navigating the childcare crisis that so many working parents face in silence, I hit what I call my "rock-bottom personal moment." Instead of retreating, I organized. I co-founded Parents for After School Solutions (PASS), rallied 500+ parents, partnered with the YMCA, and radically expanded after-school care access in my Massachusetts town. I joined the Economic Development Committee and helped found WaylandCAN, a non-profit aimed at measurably increasing connection and belonging in my town. I began to make a habit of channeling my frustration into community infrastructure.

Community Meets Technology

That experience lit a fire. I saw the community crisis clearly: parents were isolated, burned out, and struggling to make plans together — not because they didn't want connection, but because the infrastructure for it didn't exist. So I built it.

I founded Purposely Social, a mobile-first technology platform designed to help parents build deeper relationships in real life, making it easy to sync schedules, find group availability, and actually show up for each other.

Enter AI

When AI tools began leveling the playing field for builders everywhere, I saw a door open for a generation of leaders who had the vision but not the code. For the first time, non-technical founders had access to the same building power as any engineer — and almost nobody was showing them how to use it.

I founded Launch by Lunch, a community for founders who want to move fast with AI and no-code tools, without gatekeeping or fluff. In its first seven months, LBL hosted 59 events, grew to 250+ paying members and a 1,500-person newsletter, with $0 in marketing spend. The inaugural 4-week accelerator sold out in two hours.

Today

In 2026, I was named a Top 100 Innovator by Redwood Media's Top 100 Magazine. My viral TEDx talk on community, parent burnout, and the real health need for social connection was selected as a TEDx Editor's Pick by TEDx Global, a distinction given to less than 0.07% of all TEDx talks delivered worldwide each year.

Today, I operate as Built by Karen and oversee Launch by Lunch — bringing my unique blend of startup strategy, AI fluency, and storytelling to stages, boardrooms, and communities across the country. I believe the most powerful infrastructure for the Future of Work isn't technology — it's community. And she's building a world where AI is used for good, ambition isn't a source of shame, connection is treated as a health imperative, and women have the tools, the tribe, and the courage to build on their own terms.