Karen was born and raised in a small, tight-knit neighbourhood in Canada. Being in that ‘uplifting’ support system, a place that constantly had one another’s back, it has cultivated her to become the life-long listener, learner, and mediator she is today. Karen is an award-winning youth activism and community leader in Canada. For years, she has been recognized for her unparalleled works in facilitation, qualitative research, and community education, specifically around topics such as gender-based violence, institutionalized oppression, sexual violence, and feminism. Karen has worked with 1000+ women and girls to date. She has worked on various projects to educate learning institutions and youth about emotional and physical safety, such as abuse and violence prevention. She is also the founder and co-director of Peerify Youth, a federally-incorporated non-profit that is dedicated to promoting the “power of coexistence” in 6+ chapters across Canada. Outside of excelling in her academic and social pursuits, Karen is an extremely politically-involved and outspoken leader as she serves as an elected ward youth councillor, justice and equity officer for a non-partisan secondary student organization, and a co-chair for youth in her city.