President, Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation
Mountain View, CA

Karen Leshner has enjoyed diverse professional experiences in the fields of technology, finance and philanthropy. She was a sales and marketing engineer in the emerging semiconductor industry in the early part of her career, then morphed into a 20+ year career as a technology stock investor.

In her current role as President of Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation, Karen focuses on projects which support and encourage teachers, and she passionately believes in the power of a single teacher as a catalyst to positively influence students. Intrepid manages its own grant program, The LIGHT Awards, which provides funding directly to teachers for professional learning.

Karen is an Advisory Board member at the Contemplative Sciences Center at her alma mater, the University of Virginia, and has been a devoted Ashtanga yoga practitioner since 2004.

Karen was born in Cleveland, Ohio, received a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia, and an MBA from Vanderbilt University.

Karen lives in downtown Mountain View, and is the proud mama of three adult daughters and a loud, but adorable, Cardigan Corgi.

Profile of Impact: Intergenerational and International Perspectives Enrich the Classroom Experience