Builder / Strategist / Founder
Karen
Schoellkopf.
I help organizations build things that don't exist yet. Usually that means someone has a big idea, real urgency, and no playbook. My job is to figure out what to build, make a plan that actually holds up, and get it moving.
I've been doing this for 25 years across a lot of contexts: I founded and ran a national nonprofit from a seed of an idea to Congressional testimony and cowriting a policy brief with The Aspen Institute. I've been an early hire at startups that are now major companies. I've worked on digital strategy for Samsung, Verizon, and Spotify as part of agency teams.
What I help with
Building something from scratch
You secured funding for an idea, and now you need someone to shape it into a strategy and a product or program people actually use.
Fixing what isn't working
You're past the idea stage but it's not working the way you thought it would, and you need someone to diagnose the problem and help fix it.
Re-envisioning a program
You built something that worked for its original audience, but the landscape has shifted and you've hit a ceiling with your current approach. You need someone to rethink the strategy without blowing up what works.
Exploring a pivot
You're at a crossroads and you'd like to explore options, both viable and risky. You need someone to help you scenario-plan, pressure-test each path, and create a clearer picture of what the way forward can actually look like.
Implementing AI thoughtfully
Your organization has an AI mandate but nobody's sure how to implement it thoughtfully. I get into the weeds of what you do and build a plan with your team that everyone can apply confidently.
Launching internal innovation
Your organization wants to test new ideas but your innovation team is lean. You need someone who can take experiments from concept to proof of concept.
How I'm thinking about AI
I've been thinking about AI implementation since 2023. I wrote organizational AI policy and prototyped AI tools at Leap Fund, and I've gone deeper since, building more complex prototypes and working through the real questions about how organizations can use it equitably and responsibly. I believe we're in a real moment of flux, and I want to be in the room where organizations are making decisions about how to use it well.
How we can work together
Project-based consulting
You have a specific problem or initiative and need someone to help you develop the work to a specific milestone or launch.
Fractional leadership
Ongoing strategic support and thought partnership. Open to short and longer term engagements, full time for the right role.
Experience
For 25+ years, I've worked at the intersection of product, strategy, and "we'll figure it out as we go." I founded and ran Leap Fund for 7 years, building one of the first platforms to address benefits cliffs for low-income workers, from a seed of an idea to national reach, $2M+ in competitive funding, and testimony before Congress. Before that, I built products at startups, led digital transformation for Fortune 500 companies, and spent a decade in creative production for world-renowned artists.
Leap Fund
Founder & CEO (2018-2024), Strategic Advisor (2024-Present)
Founded and scaled one of the nation's first platforms addressing benefits cliffs, creating a fintech product, educational programs, and employer partnerships from scratch. Testified before U.S. House Rules Committee, presented at Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Featured in The New York Times. Secured $2M+ in competitive grant funding.
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Chief Product Officer
VoteRunLead
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Head of Community
Justworks
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Product/Strategy Lead
Harvest & WalkaboutNYC
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Strategy Consultant
Samsung, Verizon, Target, Spotify
Want to explore a project together?
I'd love to hear more about what you're working on and think through how we might build together.
Get in touch →