With extensive experience in business development, pension administration, and health welfare fund management, Karen A. Brown of Bowie, Maryland, is the chief executive officer and founder of One Karen Brown, working to empower women of color in their entrepreneurial endeavors since 2018. As a highly skilled business coach, her mission, while declaring “Value, Vision, Execute” as her mantra, is to help clients overcome barriers, build their dream teams, and scale their businesses beyond six figures without burnout.
Ms. Brown’s commitment to helping others stems from her own successful journey through the mostly male world of benefits trust management and pension administration. She credits her success, in part, to her strong educational foundation. Beginning her academic path by earning a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Marymount University in 1995, she discovered that her true interests lay in pension administration rather than traditional accounting. To pursue this goal, Ms. Brown secured an internship with Antionette Kelly at Automated Retirement Plans Inc., garnering experience navigating the intricate legal landscape of employee benefits and pensions. After completing her internship, Ms. Brown joined Uniglobal Pension Planning Inc. in 1998, working as a compliance specialist and senior benefits analyst. Notably, during her tenure with the company, she identified compliance issues in a particular plan and communicated her findings to the firm’s leadership, taking charge and articulating the problem.
In 2002, Ms. Brown joined Snyder Cohn as a senior pension administrator, allowing her to delve deeper into the nuances of pension and benefits management. This invaluable experience led her to become the benefits trust director at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement in 2003, where she worked for 15 years. For more than a decade, Ms. Brown oversaw two nine-figure trust funds and operational management efforts and handled compliance issues. Establishing a reputation as a leader in her field, she consistently advocated for process improvements and supported her colleagues in their professional development efforts.
Beyond her primary roles, Ms. Brown is a published author of several workbooks, including “Princess, Build Your Empire” and “Women Build Their Own Tables,” which offer practical guidance for women seeking to take control of their financial futures and develop thriving businesses. She also authored “Hire to Scale Blueprint.” Though her achievements have not come without challenges, Ms. Brown ascribes her accomplishments to her willingness to take risks, commitment to continual education, and fearlessness. Staying grounded also has benefited her. Throughout her career, she has remained dedicated to giving back, serving as a professional mentor for countless women and helping them grow in their careers. Ms. Brown is grateful for two key mentors who shaped her own career trajectory: Antoinette Kelly, who first opened the door to pension administration for her, and Latricia Davis, who helped Ms. Brown find her voice after personal loss and encouraged her to step into her true purpose of serving others. Ms. Brown wholeheartedly believes in the power of uniting people from different backgrounds and experiences to create something greater than the sum of its elements. She respects her elders and younger generations, recognizing that each brings unique strengths and perspectives to the table.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Brown enlisted her nieces to join her business, helping the single women find ways to create revenue when faced with periods of economic uncertainty. She used this crisis as an opportunity to teach her nieces the importance of resourcefulness and entrepreneurship. In the coming years, Ms. Brown plans to continue supporting women entrepreneurs, working with venture capitalists to create more opportunities for marginalized communities, and inspiring the next generation of business leaders. She aims to introduce her workbooks into schools to help foster an entrepreneurial spirit in children and have a lasting impact on the world.