Karen Cahn

pay-it-forward model, expert crowdfunding and startup coaching, professional video production, and a private community for their entrepreneurs to talk openly about the wins, the challenges, and what actually works in the world of startup funding.

Karen is a pioneer in the digital media space, and was an early Google employee where she spent 10 years leading various monetization teams in search, display and video. Most notably, Karen started the Branded Entertainment business at YouTube, when back in the olden times of Youtube, 2007, she and a rogue group of sales and product people, made the connection between big consumer brands and video creators, thus creating the first, highly-monetized native video ad experiences on YouTube.

Most recently, Karen spent three years as General Manager of AOL Original Video, and was responsible for business strategy and strategic partnerships. In this role, Karen built AOL’s female creative economy in video and as a result, nabbed AOL it's first-ever Emmy nod.

Karen is on the board of advisors of Girl Rising, an organization dedicated to girls education in developing countries. She is also on the Springboard Media Council, a highly respected group of experts across the world of digital content, who invest their “human capital” in Springboard and their pipeline of high-growth, women-led companies.

Karen holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, double majoring in African-American Studies and US History.