Karen co-founded Pappas & Pappas® and CareerMode®, and is the driving force behind the success and extraordinary reputation of both firms. Prior to this, Karen was the Vice President of a well-regarded Massachusetts HR consulting and outplacement firm, and the founder and leader of an exclusive professional placement firm in Boston. Karen began her career with a global staffing firm, where she launched new U.S. locations and grew existing markets. Currently a member of the Northeast Human Resources Association (NEHRA), The Boston Club, the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), and the Women’s Mental Health Leadership Council at McLean Hospital, Karen is also a fellow of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital. She was a founding member of the Boston College Club, a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and a former board member of the Pan Mass Challenge (Jimmy Fund), The Wang Center for Performing Arts, and the Boston Human Resources Association (BHRA). Karen co-established the Diversity Committee at BHRA and served as co-chair of their Membership Committee. She was also co-chair of the Holiday Card Program at Dana-Farber and a past rider and volunteer for the Pan Mass Challenge. Karen is a volunteer career strategist for the Eagle Exchange at Boston College, mentor in The Boston Club’s TBC Peer Mentoring Program, mentor at the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), group mentor at Women in the Enterprise of Science & Technology (WEST), and volunteer career coach at both JVS Boston and One Family. Karen is an MBTI Certified Practitioner and certified by the VIA Institute on Character to deliver its Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice (MBSP) program. She is also certified as a Designing Your Life Coach based on design-thinking principles at Stanford University. She holds multiple certificates in Mind-Body Medicine from Harvard Medical School and Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.