Karen Bhatia
Lecturer, Stanford University
Karen Bhatia is a lawyer, policymaker and entrepreneur helping businesses and economies grow. At Stanford University, she teaches how business innovation and technology can drive social impact and is launching the Stanford in New York Innovation Studio to explore new approaches to New York City’s most pressing challenges. The Studio’s focus is how technology is reshaping economic opportunity and how New Yorkers can navigate a changing economy. She previously led tech at the NYC Economic Development Corporation, overseeing a $200+ Million portfolio of approximately 30 tech and entrepreneurship projects. This includes developing NYC's blockchain strategy, launching the first publicly-funded Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Lab in the US, leading New York City's strategy to develop a Center for Responsible Artificial Intelligence and expanding affordable broadband access to poor neighborhoods in NYC. During her tenure leading tech, NYC rose to be the #2 city for tech entrepreneurship in the world.