“I enjoy the process of starting with something that never existed, that progresses into the design or the capture of something beautiful, and then putting all the pieces together to tell a client’s story. It's very gratifying.”

In addition to contributing her talents to various startups, she served as Vice President and Creative Director for SmartFurniture.com for more than a decade, representing brands like Herman Miller, Knoll, Steelcase, Blu Dot, and Gus Modern. Managing a company with millions of dollars in online and brick-and-mortar sales gave Karen invaluable real-world insights into how brands and products should be represented.

As a much-in-demand commercial photographer, Karen has an especially keen eye for detail when it comes to documenting people, places, and (especially) food. In fact, her passion for cooking — mixed with her tasteful work behind the camera — has allowed her to photograph for a wide-range of high-end culinary clients, including the Food Network.

Karen cultivated her love of “all things mid-century modern” while studying Graphic Design at the University of Illinois, where she also earned a Division I Tennis Scholarship.