Karen’s creative journey started when she began sewing at only 6 years old. Across multiple careers and multiple cities, she has never lost her love of creating and learning new things, from sculpture, to soap making, to jewelry and more. After moving back to Chicago, Karen began crafting flowers from metal wire, and after participating in the Hyde Park Handmade Craft Fest in 2019, realized that she had a product that people got excited about.

Creative Inspiration: Karen is inspired by nature and the myriad plants she has in her home. She calls her jewelery “Working woman accessories”; inspired by her time in the corporate world, she creates pieces that are affordable, high quality, and allows people to express themselves even in the office.

South Shore Story: Karen grew up in the South Shore area and raised her family here. She has strong ties to the area and is passionate about developing the neighborhood. Her dream is to open her own Brick & Mortar shop on 71st st, where she can support young creatives from the neighborhood and inspire them to start their own businesses.

Why the TAC: Karen learned about the TAC from a friend and realized that it was a perfect opportunity to learn about running a business. She wants to learn good business skills so she can grow her business, experiment with more types of art, such as candlemaking and soapmaking, and help to support the South Shore by paying it forward and teaching new artists.