Although Karen grew up on a farm in Virginia, her family nicknamed her, “the black thumb of death” when it comes to plant life. So obviously that lead to a career in IT, not horticulture. She was a cybersecurity practitioner long before it was cool. Many call her a unicorn because she's a real, live female cybersecurity CEO who paid her dues in the industry. That’s why Karen is passionate about grooming the next generation of security professionals. When not running Assura, she bakes cookies and banana bread that would make Gordon Ramsay weep with joy, and spends time with her 2 kids and some guy with a goatee.