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Karen Mack
Karen Mack is a passionate and visionary Los Angeles leader who leverages the power of arts and culture to empower individuals, build connections and strengthen communities. In 2000, she founded LA Commons based on a vision of communities where everyone has the freedom to express themselves and tap into the power of creativity. For more than 25 years, she and her team have worked in neighborhoods across the city, developing arts programs that foster interaction, dialogue and collaboration for a better Los Angeles. LA Commons facilitates local engagement in arts and culture and important issues including health, transportation and education, giving residents, particularly young people, a voice and opportunities to create positive change.
Before founding LA Commons, Karen was a Public Service Fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where she researched culture’s role in community building, and Vice President at Community Partners, overseeing Program Planning and Development. She holds an MPA from Harvard University and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She served for seven years on the Los Angeles City Planning Commission and currently serves on the City’s Human Relations Commission and on the board of California Humanities. Her leadership has been recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as a Leader of Influence in Nonprofit & Philanthropy and by the Los Angeles Times through its Inspirational Women Forum & Leadership Awards.
Karen Mack is a passionate and visionary Los Angeles leader who leverages the power of arts and culture to empower individuals, build connections and strengthen communities. In 2000, she founded LA Commons based on a vision of communities where everyone has the freedom to express themselves and tap into the power of creativity. For more than 25 years, she and her team have worked in neighborhoods across the city, developing arts programs that foster interaction, dialogue and collaboration for a better Los Angeles. LA Commons facilitates local engagement in arts and culture and important issues including health, transportation and education, giving residents, particularly young people, a voice and opportunities to create positive change.
Before founding LA Commons, Karen was a Public Service Fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where she researched culture’s role in community building, and Vice President at Community Partners, overseeing Program Planning and Development. She holds an MPA from Harvard University and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She served for seven years on the Los Angeles City Planning Commission and currently serves on the City’s Human Relations Commission and on the board of California Humanities. Her leadership has been recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as a Leader of Influence in Nonprofit & Philanthropy and by the Los Angeles Times through its Inspirational Women Forum & Leadership Awards.