Melody Mikkelsen, Development Director, Young Audiences of Oregon and SW Washington

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Karen brings a wealth of knowledge and connections to her work and is an absolutely delightful human being - kind, efficient, reliable, fun, and steadfast. Karen helped Young Audiences produce a complex hybrid fundraising event and auction with many competing goals and what for anyone else would have been a very challenging mix of newer and more established leaders with strong and often conflicting opinions. Even last-minute logistical challenges were always met with a calm, "okay, let's figure out how we can make this work" approach that is so helpful yet so hard to find in the events world. We are actively looking for more opportunities to work with Karen in the future!

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Catherine Buford, Managing Partner, ChefStable Catering

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Karen's strengths in event planning and consultation are immeasurable! I've known her for over 10 years and have worked with her as a colleague and then as a consultant for my own business. Karen understands the importance of relationship-building within the community as well as among her peers- her mastery of this skill happens in an organic, sincere way, and fosters lasting, meaningful relationships.  From a technical perspective, Karen has a keen knowledge for all things event related. From venues to menu planning, she is adept in all facets of event execution. She is thoughtful and strategic and is able to balance the needs of clients with all logistical considerations in order to create a successful event. She is a true pro.

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Jeff Bergadine, President, Portlandia Foods Inc

 

We here at Portlandia Foods are very excited to be part of Karen Rich's consulting company client list. Karen Rich is a remarkable professional with a sharp focus on detail and customer relations. I have had the privilege to work for Karen over the years and have personally learned from the guidance she offers. Karen's ability to walk clients through their projects with ease has always made people feel well managed and taken care of. Highly Recommend Karen and Tilikum Consulting!

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Tammy Boysen Wilhoite (she/her) Co-Chair Coordinating Council, Ninety-Nine Girlfriends

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Karen is wonderful to work with! She is a great communicator and knows her stuff. Her experience in the event planning industry is deep and broad and she understands well the nuances of working with nonprofits. Her planning with ninety-nine girlfriends has been top-notch and I would highly recommend her.

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Kris Nelson, Principal, Creative Director at N2+Creative

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Karen is a terrific planner and consultant. Her attention to detail, follow through and management skills are impeccable.

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Heather Martin, Executive Director, Legacy Health Foundations

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I worked with Karen for over 13 years on premiere fundraising events, and she was always professional, responsive, and creative. She was detail-oriented and was very proactive in working through concepts and plans to ensure the most successful events. She is lovely to work with and maintains a great sense of humor and calmness when dealing with chaos!

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Pamela Catlett, Strategist | Board & Executive Advisor | Former NIKE & Under Armour Executive

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Karen is a creative, high-integrity and collaborative business partner. I have been a client of hers for both personal and professional meetings and events and, without fail, she delivers exceptional ideas and experiences that have consistently exceeded my expectations. Her focus is always on achieving her client’s goal within the time and budget allocated. She is creative, disciplined, and always clear about what and how she will deliver.

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Rian Hanneman, CEO, Portlandia Foods 

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Karen was instrumental and dedicated to getting Portlandia Foods Inc certified as B Corp this year! Thank you so much for everything and all your consistent professionalism and constant insight into B Corp values and how they can be implemented at Portlandia Foods. Karen is very detailed and we would recommend her value to anyone interested in pursuing this amazing venture. Thank you so much Karen, we look forward to working with you again in future projects.

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Pascale King, General Manager, Tumwater Vineyard

 

​I want to thank you for your help with Tumwater Vineyard. Your vast knowledge and expertise as well as your accessibility was greatly appreciated. I would recommend working with Tilikum Consulting.

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Nicole Stavenau, Events and Program Manager, Intel Corporation

 

I was a client of Karen's for a large-scale event of 900 attendees. She was a consummate professional throughout the entire 6-month planning process and her capability and consistent willingness to go above and beyond the scope of required work far exceeded both mine and my team's expectations (to which we have exceedingly high standards). Her attention to detail and thinking-outside-the-box skillset directly influenced the quality of the event as a whole which resulted in 5-star feedback from the attendees, post-event. She excels at multi-tasking, budget management, brainstorming, problem solving, creativity and client/business partner relationship development. Any client would be lucky to have her as their consultant.

 

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Ross Beatty, President, Beatty Group International

 

Karen Rich has partnered with Beatty Group to facilitate many successful gatherings and events over the past several years. She is creative, responsive, and always produces a great end result for us. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to create an impactful event. 

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Heather Matheny, Business Advisor

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I worked on multiple events with Karen when I was publisher at Oregon Bride Magazine. Her attention to detail and her ability to help organize and execute our events was on point. She is thoughtful, creative, and a pleasure to work with. I would recommend her to anyone looking for consulting in team management, execution of events, and how to create long lasting client relationships.