Karina Eileraas Karakus

• Lead editorial team for a global fashion-foreign policy-cultural diplomacy media startup in partnership
with award-winning BBC anchor Suzanne Kianpour with emphasis on the GCC
• Head womens leadership conversation incubator, driving thought leadership and public engagement
through interviews and podcasts
• Create multi-platform content strategies using Slack, Figma, Substack, Trello, Miro, and Canva —
increasing user engagement by 50% and reducing production timelines by 30%
• Translate complex policy research, case law, and academic findings into accessible public-facing content
for global audiences

• Designed and facilitated workplace inclusion and respectful conduct training programs for global
organizations, UN agencies & NGOs, raising participant engagement by 35%
• Partnered with international HR leaders on change management initiatives; developed a toolkit to
advance womens leadership in the Eurasian energy sector
• Coached executive leaders on inclusive communications, intergenerational collaboration, and mental
health to foster emotionally intelligent leadership

• Led organizational inclusion assessments for 40+ global organizations across social media, gaming,
fashion, fintech, higher education, media, public health, and cultural non-profit sectors
• Presented data-driven findings and strategic recommendations to C-suite and executive leadership
• Co-created DEI mission statements and strategic change roadmaps with custom KPIs and progress
metrics
• Designed and facilitated 25+ learning and development programs on workplace conduct, gender equity,
cultural inclusivity, and inclusive hiring practices
• Drafted white paper on savior narratives in international development; organized industry roundtable on
inclusive health benefits in relation to legislative updates
• Led HRIS assessments and designed community engagement and social impact plans to align with
UNSDGs
• Collaborated with Legal and HR teams of clients in the social media, energy, and beauty sectors to
embed inclusive governance, policy, marketing, and content moderation frameworks, increasing
psychological safety and employee engagement by 20%
• Developed digital codes of conduct and executive communication strategy for a high-profile NYC
mayoral campaign to manage a public relations crisis, increasing employee trust and collaboration by
35%

— Womens & Gender Studies, Middle Eastern & North African
Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, International Development & Media Studies
• Published and presented research on women, revolution, visual culture, technology and social media in
the MENA, GCC and Arab Spring — directly relevant to the UAEs multicultural and regional development
context
• Designed and taught 20+ undergraduate and graduate courses spanning Sociology, Anthropology,
International Development & Human Rights, Media Studies, Womens & Gender Studies, and MENA
Studies
• Mentored 25+ BA and PhD students; served on dissertation committees and supervised independent
research, producing measurable gains in student fellowships, publications, and career readiness
• Developed inclusive, digitally informed teaching strategies aligned with evolving cultural norms, digital
behaviors, and student demographics

• Co-founded an interdisciplinary knowledge hub on Technology & Human Sexuality, forging innovative
partnerships between academia and the tech sector
• Designed and taught graduate seminars; served on search committees, increasing student diversity by
15%

• Cross-sector foundation in international tax, financial transactions and commodities litigation, and
systems integration — informing a uniquely analytical approach to global organizational consulting