Karen Penner is passionate about education, recruiting and working in the Ed Tech sector. She started her career in the classroom as an ESL teacher for 6 years before recruiting for the technology and biotech industries. She found her way back to the Ed Tech industry in 2012, where she headed the recruiting function for IXL Learning. The company grew from 80 to 400+ employees in the 5 years that she led their recruiting team. Additionally, she has guided several Silicon Valley startups in creating solid recruiting plans and processes to prepare the organization for rapid growth. Karen enjoys coaching and mentoring others on their career path. Personally, Karen loves to travel and explore the world, which she accomplishes by visiting at least one new country every year. Karen is a mom of two young children and a dog lover.