Karen Demavivas

Karen Demavivas is a Global Leadership Fellow at the World Economic Forum where she managed a community of social entrepreneurs and innovators as well as engaged investors in the Forum’s sustainable and impact investing initiatives. One of the initiatives she co-founded was a workshop series called ScaleShop, which brought together entrepreneurs, investors, intermediaries, and government representatives in a cross-mentoring exchange on the challenges and opportunities of impact investing. Among the key themes discussed were investing in climate resilient innovations including those in food, agriculture, forestry, and land use. Prior to the Forum, Karen worked with entrepreneurs focused on sustainable tourism, food, and agriculture at the grass-roots level in Brazil and Thailand. While there, she also did apprenticeships and certifications in permaculture centres, organic farms, and other sustainable rural sites. Past work experience also included management roles in the UN, non-profit and private sectors. Karen is a two time US Fulbright Fellow, having done her fellowships in Thailand and then at UNESCO Paris headquarters. She will soon be embarking on a European MSc in Agroecology in Norway and France where she plans to focus her research on the intersection of capital and regenerative agriculture.