About Karen Rich

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Choosing nature & the outdoors over subways and concrete, Karen left New York City, investment banking, and urban living, to move to Portland, Oregon for a simplified lifestyle and better work-life balance.

 

She made a sharp turn from a career on Wall Street to a more creative arena in the northwest events industry.  Her expertise managing a sales team in financial markets prepared her for the transition to build and mentor a team as Vice President of Sales and Business Development with Vibrant Table, a leader in catering and event production in the Pacific Northwest.  

 

Much like in New York, she made the numbers grow, by cultivating the strengths of her team rather than following standard corporate directives.  She believes that if you focus on the team, rather than the results, then outcomes will exceed expectations. 

 

Nineteen years later, in September of 2019, Karen decided to form Tilikum Consulting, to work with people and companies who share her core values: honesty, integrity, and transparency. 

 

Karen named the company after her favorite Portland landmark: Tilikum Crossing – Bridge of the People. The bridge’s aesthetic is clean and simple, a modern and elegant, car-free structure creating new connections for Portlanders.  For a long time, it was the bridge over which she would cycle to work.

 

Tilikum Consulting addresses four areas of need, bringing clients from Good to Great:

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   Sales Strategies | Project Management | Meetings and Events | B Corp Certification