Karen Alden

Karen Donahue Alden joined the Hope Street Group Board in 2008.   She participated in the team that wrote Hope Street Group's policy paper on pre-K education.

Karen's professional experience spans the public, non-profit and private sectors, and includes fifteen years of experience developing revenue-building strategies for companies ranging from entrepreneurial start-ups to very large corporations. Karen was CEO of a small health food company called Dr. McDougall's Right Foods during its Chapter 11 reorganization and subsequent sale.  At the acquiring company she spearheaded a companywide direct marketing initiative and created a unique, home-delivered weight loss program.  At the Walt Disney Company Karen was instrumental in The Disney Channel's transition from a premium to a basic cable network, and at USA Networks, Inc. she headed distribution during Home Shopping Network's conversion from a broadcast to cable network. 

Currently Karen provides marketing and strategy consulting services to non-profit organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, most recently for the Police Activities League and the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra.  She has served in leadership positions on the boards of directors for organizations addressing the needs of at-risk youth, including Destiny Arts Center and The Center for Youth.   She and her husband are developing a summer camp in Sonoma County for boys from low income families.

Karen earned a BA in Political Science at Boston College, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.