Forty Under 40: Karen Minkel

Contributing to the community is important to Karen Minkel, and she’s built a career around that goal.

Minkel graduated from Northwestern University in 1999 with a degree in communications. In 2004, she earned a master’s degree in public policy from the University of California at Berkley.

Minkel said she became intersted in policy while working as a Teach for America corps member in Harlem.

That interest eventually led to a job with the city of Fayetteville where she served as the director of strategic planning and internal consulting. She led Fayetteville’s comprehensive city plan, which brought together key stakeholders to help plan the community’s future.

In 2012, Minkel went to work for the Walton Family Foundation where she is responsible for providing analysis and evaluation of grants and strategies that benefit the citizens and communities of Northwest Arkansas and throughout the state.

The highlight of her professional career, Minkel said, has been working with talented people and doing meaningful work.

“I’ve been fortunate to work with people who are incredibly talented while also incredibly humble,” she said. “I want to continue doing work that I find meaningful and engaging that’s ultimately benefiting my community.”