Karen Sherman is Executive Director of the Akilah Institute for Women and a Senior Associate at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. Throughout her career, Karen has combined her expertise, passion, and transformative leadership skills to affect lasting economic and social change for women around the world. Karen served as Chief Operating Officer and then Executive Director for Global Programs at Women for Women International (WfWI), an organization that enables women war survivors to restart their lives, where her work resulted in measurable impacts on women’s income, health, decision-making, and social networks. Before joining WfWI, Karen served as Executive Vice President at Counterpart International. Karen has served as a thought leader and spokesperson on global women’s issues through the media, public appearances, and diverse social media platforms, including as Executive Producer of The Other Side of War: Women’s Stories of Survival and Hope, published by National Geographic. Karen holds a Master’s Degree in Russian and East European Studies from The George Washington University and a Bachelor’s Degree from University of Oregon. She serves as Board Chair of FAIR Girls and on the Board of Trustees of Mary Baldwin College.