Karen Bhatia is a Lecturer at Stanford University, teaching a course on Business Innovation and Technology for Social Change. 

A strategic leader working at the intersection of business, law, and policy, Karen’s expertise is in using technology and entrepreneurship as tools to create equitable opportunities and systemic change. Prior to joining Stanford, Karen was Senior Vice President and the head of tech strategy for the New York City Economic Development Corporation. She led NYC’s blockchain strategy, the development of the first publicly funded VR/AR Lab in the country, the City’s strategy for ethical development of AI & data, and broadband development in the neighborhoods hardest hit by COVID-19. Karen is also an attorney, entrepreneur, and startup advisor. After working at several Wall Street law firms, she became the principal of her own law firm advising tech startups on corporate issues, financing, and overall business strategy. As an entrepreneur, Karen founded ActionCam, an educational platform aggregating reliable sources on policy issues, even before trust in media was an issue. Karen also founded Stanford Startups NY, a business network of over 800 Stanford entrepreneurs and investors in the region. She is an advisor to several tech organizations and also Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Mott Hall, a middle school in NYC. 

Karen received a Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and a Juris Doctorate from The George Washington University Law School.