Dr. Karen Hands

Biography

Karen Hands is a serial entrepreneur, leadership coach, non-executive director, and angel investor who works principally with women to enable their success in business. In addition to her role as an Associate Fellow, she serves as Chair of the Strategic HR Committee at the Community Forest Trust and acts as a Board Advisor for small companies and high-growth start-ups. Karen is also involved with the Michael Beverley Innovation Fellowship at Leeds University, where she provides team mentoring to early-career academics. As a member of the Women Angels North Syndicate, she is committed to investing in female founders and taking action in line with the Rose Review. Her own business, Say Karen Ltd., offers training and coaching to help women find their voice in business. An inspirational speaker and advocate for change, she supports the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) agenda. Karen is a self-published author of 'Networking Know-how', a guide to networking success for small businesses. Over her career, she has worked as a Process Engineer involved in significant environmental improvement projects and trained as a teamwork and leadership coach at the Coverdale Organisation. Her portfolio career has included roles with Bootstrap Enterprises, a charity aiding the unemployed in East Lancashire, and facilitating business development for associates. Karen has served as Chair of Governors at Darwen Vale High School and Vice Chair of Wakefield FE College. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Chemical Engineering from University College London and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). She leads the Women’s Leadership Development Programme at Saïd Business School as Head Tutor, guiding a global team of tutors and assessors delivering virtual learning for female executives around the world.

Research Interests