Gateway | Acer | IcebreakerGateway | Acer
Gateway | Acer
Members
Creative change agent skilled at creating and executing winning marketing and business strategies and campaigns from bootstrapping a privately-funded start-up to directing large scale direct response demand generation campaigns. Hands-on leader who builds high performance systems and marketing organizations that drive revenue, develop customer loyalty and adapt to rapidly changing market opportunities. Industry expertise includes technology, personal development/self-help industry, marketing, sustainability/green building, construction and professional services. Karen has held senior marketing, management and consulting roles with Gateway Computers, HP, Robbins Research International, Samsung, T-Mobile, Verizon Networkfleet, Concur, Content Solutions Group and Global Motivation Inc.
Specialties: Marketing and customer strategy | Direct, retail, digital and channel marketing | Brand development | Demand generation programs | Lead generation, customer acquisition, retention and loyalty | Digital marketing and social media marketing | Content marketing | Marketing automation | Event marketing | Sales operations | Marketing processes and systems | Consumer, small business/SMB and enterprise customer segments. 
Senior Cloud Engineer | DevOps Leader | Infrastructure Automation Expert
With over a decade of experience in cloud engineering, DevOps, and IT infrastructure, I
specialize in designing, deploying, and automating scalable cloud environments. My
expertise spans public and private cloud strategies, infrastructure automation, and cost
optimization, ensuring operational efficiency and compliance.
Cloud & DevOps Excellence
I have a proven track record in cloud architecture, leveraging AWS, GCP, Kubernetes,
Terraform, and Ansible to streamline deployments and enhance system reliability. From
automating infrastructure builds to monitoring and alerting with Datadog and
CloudWatch, I ensure optimal cloud performance and budget adherence.
Leadership & Mentorship
As a Director of DevOps and a leader in VMware’s global user community, I drive
technical strategy, mentor teams, and foster innovation. My ability to manage cross-
functional teams and external consultants has led to the successful execution of cloud
migration and infrastructure modernization projects.
Continuous Improvement & Compliance
With hands-on experience in PCI compliance, Kubernetes administration, and lifecycle
management, I focus on enhancing system security and performance. I leverage
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to create repeatable, scalable, and cost-effective solutions.
I am passionate about cloud technology, automation, and sharing my knowledge with
the community. 
