Karen Korponai is the CEO and Founder of Konscious Konsulting – guiding conscious companies in their quest to turn their visions into reality. She promotes a business paradigm that focuses on people, planet, purpose and prosperity. Her journey, as the daughter of a U.S. Diplomat and a mother from Bolivia grounded her in international experience and taught her the rewards of making an impact. While working for U.S. AID, however, she was disappointed that when the funding ended after only five years, so did the programs that helped so many. . To find a more sustainable route, Karen earned her MBA at the Thunderbird School of Global Management and found a job where she learned how to bring a product from creation to market on a global level, but she wasn’t passionate about the products or the work.
That was when she discovered the power of connecting., In this case it was the power of connecting celebrity brands with sustainable products to make a difference. One of her first projects included a C-suite position at AKON Lighting Africa, which brought solar energy solutions to over one million rural households in over 10 countries. Now she is the Senior Advisor & LP for the purpose driven Visionary Private Equity Group, an Ambassador for the Global Blockchain Business Council, and a board member for the Playing for Change Foundation, which uses music for positive change in over 50 schools in 17 countries.
The Benefits of Being a Super-Connector
Karen calls connecting one of her superpowers. She says, “I love connecting people. If you connect good people to good people, good things happen. It’s inevitable.” She recently joined Daughters for Earth, an organization that gives grants to women leaders who impact change, whose members she met last year at the EarthX Conference. She was so excited that they were impacting women at a grassroots level, that she connected them with her contacts in Africa and Latin America. Karen said, “I didn’t ask for anything. I just gave. I’ve noticed that a lot of times if you give, at some point it will come back.” Months later it did, and they invited her to join their team as an advisor.
Build Your Community
As a super-connector, Karen is always focused on how she can help others. She says that when she’s encountered obstacles, like difficult people to work with, she gives it a hundred percent, helping the people she works with “shine.” She agrees with Dr. Nancy that there’s always enough pie for everyone and if there isn’t, she says to make more pies. Karen’s viewpoint is that it doesn’t matter who gets the credit as long as the goal is reached, so she doesn’t get caught up in the egos behind the projects. However, she does admit that if the situation doesn’t change and the community isn’t supporting you, it’s time to move on. Most important of all she says is to keep trying. Don’t stop; keep on trying.
Listen to or watch this conversation to find out more about Karen’s communities and how you can get connected. Learn more at her website karenkarponai.com or on LinkedIn She invites anyone who is truly interested in connecting with her to reach out on e-mail [email protected].
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