Karen Wawrzaszek
Regional Director, Foundation & Institutional Advisors practice at Northern Trust
Karen Wawrzaszek is a Regional Director for the Foundation & Institutional Advisors practice at Northern Trust. In her role, she partners with foundations, endowments and not-for-profit organizations to help them achieve their investment, financial, and mission-oriented goals.
Karen is a recognized thought leader and subject matter expert in philanthropy, ESG, and impact investing. She is sought out to write articles, speak on podcasts and at conferences, including Institutional Investors Forum, the UN Global People’s Summit, and the UN Ideagen’s Sustainability Conference. She serves on several boards dedicated to building more equitable education, workforce, and health care systems for women and children.
Karen is passionate about community service and serves as an Executive Committee Member and Investment Chair of the Meyer Foundation, Chairman of the Board for Teach for America DC, and a Finance Chair for Global Impact. She is a Global Advisory Council Member of Beyond the Billion, an organization dedicated to improving venture capital funding for women, and is also a committee member for 50/50 Women on Boards.
Karen was named a Washingtonian Top Financial Adviser in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022 and is a graduate and featured member of Leadership Greater Washington’s Signature Program. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Wichita State University and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA), and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor.
Regional Director, Foundation & Institutional Advisors practice at Northern Trust
Karen Wawrzaszek is a Regional Director for the Foundation & Institutional Advisors practice at Northern Trust. In her role, she partners with foundations, endowments and not-for-profit organizations to help them achieve their investment, financial, and mission-oriented goals.
Karen is a recognized thought leader and subject matter expert in philanthropy, ESG, and impact investing. She is sought out to write articles, speak on podcasts and at conferences, including Institutional Investors Forum, the UN Global People’s Summit, and the UN Ideagen’s Sustainability Conference. She serves on several boards dedicated to building more equitable education, workforce, and health care systems for women and children.
Karen is passionate about community service and serves as an Executive Committee Member and Investment Chair of the Meyer Foundation, Chairman of the Board for Teach for America DC, and a Finance Chair for Global Impact. She is a Global Advisory Council Member of Beyond the Billion, an organization dedicated to improving venture capital funding for women, and is also a committee member for 50/50 Women on Boards.
Karen was named a Washingtonian Top Financial Adviser in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022 and is a graduate and featured member of Leadership Greater Washington’s Signature Program. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Wichita State University and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA), and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor.