Karen owns and operates Karen Stewart Communications LLC, a consultancy providing diversified communication services in the areas of branding, public relations, integrated marketing and events. She has over 15 years of experience developing and implementing strategic and measurable marketing programs targeted to general market, multicultural and niche audiences.

Her major accounts to date include Porter Novelli Atlanta and their client The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); Case Western Reserve University’s Office of Inclusion, Diversity & Equal Opportunity; Women’s Committee of the Cleveland Orchestra;  Antioch Development Corporation; Ursuline College Accelerated Program; KidsHealth 2020; Race for Success Foundation; Greater Cleveland Health Education & Service Council; and George Fraser’s annual PowerNetworking conference. Notably, the 2005 national public relations campaign for PowerNetworking garnered 23,557,778 impressions and generated $1,182,929 in advertising value.

Prior to assuming the role of entrepreneur, Karen was employed in New York, NY at Burson-Marsteller, the world’s largest public relations firm. She joined the agency as a senior associate in the Public Affairs practice where she worked for Philip Morris USA as a venue manager for the Options hospitality program.  In this capacity, she managed the planning and execution of Philip Morris’ participation in hospitality industry tradeshows in key markets throughout the United States. She also managed the Mentoring Program of Philip Morris’ Youth Smoking Prevention corporate social responsibility initiative. Additionally, Karen worked in conjunction with the Worldwide Knowledge practice assisting various new business pitch teams.

Before joining Burson-Marsteller, Karen was an assistant vice president in The Chase Manhattan Bank’s Credit Card Division in New York, NY. She worked in New Market Development, which was tasked with marketing credit card products and services to Hispanic, African-American, Asian, Gay & Lesbian market segments. In this position Karen managed the development of trilingual (English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese) credit education brochures currently available at all Chase branches in the New York tri-state area and Texas. She was also responsible for the template development and execution of a Multicultural Credit Education Seminar to provide in-language credit information. The program received significant general market and multicultural media placements highlighting the bank’s inroads in underserved markets. As a result of her work, Karen received a Service Star Award from her colleagues for demonstrating the Chase values and delivering excellent service to internal and external customers. Additionally, Chase was acknowledged by President Clinton’s Initiative for One America for the program and included on their list of best corporate practices.

Before moving to New York, Karen worked in advertising in Cleveland, OH where she was employed by Stern Advertising and Liggett - Stashower. During this time, she worked in account service for clients that included Cole Vision Corporation (Sears Optical, Target Optical, Montgomery Ward Vision Center and Phar-Mor Optical); Things Remembered; Partnership for a Drug-Free America, Chase Financial; and The Plain Dealer.

Karen holds a M.S. in Mass Communication from Boston University with an emphasis in Marketing Communications. During her matriculation, Karen was awarded the Barbara Balser Grant for the Study of Women, Minorities and the Media and completed marketing internships at Sun Microsystems in Boston, MA and Essence Communications in New York, NY. She is also a graduate of Spelman College, where she earned a B.A. in English. While completing her undergraduate work, Karen studied mass communication abroad in London, England and Parma, Italy.