Karen Lien

Karen Lien is an experienced professional in the education technology and nonprofit sectors, currently serving as Senior Advisor and Head of Programs at Promise Venture Studio since October 2018, where the focus is on supporting innovators in early childhood equity. Previously, Karen was an Edtech Principal at Y Combinator from March 2016 to October 2018, recruiting and supporting edtech startups, and served as Director and Partner at Imagine K12, the first education technology accelerator, from May 2011 to March 2016. Earlier in the career at QuestBridge, Karen held roles as College Relations Director and Program Associate, significantly enhancing outreach to elite colleges for low-income students. Karen earned a Master of Science in Astronomy & Astrophysics from UCLA and a Bachelor of Science in Astronomy and Physics from Yale University.