photo of Karen Alston

Karen Alston

CEO
The Spectrum Circle

Karen’s favorite mantra is “Trust the Process.” Karen is an award winning, nationally recognized marketing & branding executive and entrepreneur. She has an illustrious career working on impactful and meaningful branding campaigns and projects with business, corporate and government entities that touch the lives of millions. An executive, entrepreneur, authentic leader, brand builder, innovator, women’s leadership advocate and authenticity guru, Karen Maria Alston is a nationally recognized award winning proven expert. She is affectionately known as The Advertising Diva or for her hashtag #beingkarenalston. Currently, Karen is the Chief Marketing Officer for Eagle Academy, a network of charter schools in Washington, DC. In addition to being a senior executive and member of the leadership team at her current employer, Karen is the CEO of a marketing agency founded in 2002. (www.alstonmarketing.com) Her firm has launched several successful and award winning marketing campaigns in the Washington DC metro area. In 2015, Karen added to her entrepreneurial journey and founded the innovative women’s professional development educational platform, The Spectrum Circle (www.thespectrumcircle.com).

Sought after for her marketing, entrepreneurial and political knowledge Karen is a frequent media contributor and has been featured on several outlets including, The Today Show, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, Fox News, BOLD TV, TV One (News One Now) and numerous other podcasts and radio interviews. Karen is an international acclaimed public speaker and commentator on a range of topics including management, marketing, authentic leadership, diversity, wellness, women’s empowerment, branding, sexual harassment, (#metoo), gender bias & inclusion, and the glass ceiling. Karen has received dozens of awards for her accomplishments in leadership, marketing, entrepreneurship, branding, and wellness. Karen is a member of American Enterprise Institute’s Leadership Network.

[Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.]

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.