Advisory Board
With over 25 years of business development experience at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and social impact, Karen Korponai guides conscious organizations in turning vision into action, promoting a business paradigm focused on people, planet, purpose, and prosperity. She has led and scaled initiatives for celebrity-founded brands including George Foreman, the Bob Marley Family, and Akon. She was a founding member of The House of Marley, successfully launching the eco-friendly audio brand in over 20 countries, and held a C-suite position with Akon Lighting Africa, bringing solar energy solutions to more than one million households in Africa. Her ability to foster strategic partnerships contributed to launching the first African-made solar streetlight assembly plant in Mali and co-creating Light to Learn, a campaign advancing education and energy access in Liberia in collaboration with Akon, Bridge International Academy schools, and Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson.
Most recently, she serves as Chief Sustainability Officer of Water Garden Farms (WGF) producing locally grown, USDA‑certified organic produce using advanced indoor farming technology. She leads sustainability strategy, ESG partnerships, and community impact initiatives at the intersection of food systems, water stewardship, and climate resilience, ensuring WGF’s industry-leading unit economics are matched by measurable, transparent impact. And, as an Advisor to Daughters for Earth and BlueLight Humanitarian Airlines, she supports the overall strategy, partnerships, and growth.
Karen is passionate about scalable technologies that positively impact nature. She has participated in the Extreme Tech Challenge at Richard Branson’s Necker Island, serves as an Ambassador for the Global Blockchain Business Council, and is a founding member of 100 Women@Davos. She has traveled to over 70 countries, bridging perspectives from the village to the boardroom, and frequently speaks at NYC Climate Week and convenings alongside the World Economic Forum. She holds an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
