The Taproot Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Karen Hunte as Executive Director, Los Angeles effective February 16, 2015.
Karen is a seasoned executive who has worked for over 15 years at the intersection of the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. She brings strong leadership and a passion to support social impact initiatives and organizations to Taproot.
“Karen is committed to making an impact in the Los Angeles community through pro bono service. She’s got just the right blend of creativity and business acumen to make big things happen for social change organizations. I’m thrilled to have Karen on the team. She’ll set strategic direction for Taproot’s Los Angeles office,” said Liz Hamburg, President and CEO of the Taproot Foundation.
Most recently, Karen managed her own company, Impact Coaching and Consulting. She used her background in organizational behavior and project management to provide strategic planning and program development to nonprofits. She has worked with Southern California Grantmakers, Free Speech TV, Integrated Recovery Network, California Council on Economic Education, and the Los Angeles Public Library.
Karen was instrumental in the launch of FNX, the first U.S. multi-platform network dedicated to Native American and Indigenous cultures. At FNX, Karen spearheaded programming and development, defining the channel’s identity as well as building financial and distribution partnerships. Karen served as Vice President of Programs & Development for KCET-PBS, developing 1,500+ hours of national programming for public broadcasting television, online, and classroom educational distribution. She simultaneously held a business and fundraising role to fully support programming from external funding streams through strategic partnership development. Karen also held positions at Warner Bros. Pictures, Out of the Blue Entertainment at Sony Pictures, and You Go Boy Productions at Twentieth Century Fox.
“Los Angeles is home to over 25,000 nonprofits serving the vast needs of its diverse community. I am looking forward to working with partners across industry sectors to bring high quality pro bono services and resources to build the capacity of the nonprofits working in our communities,” said Karen.
Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University in Organizational Behaviour & Management and a Master’s of Fine Arts degree in Film and Television Production from the UCLA School of Film, Television & Digital. She is a trained Executive and Leadership Development Coach.
