Karen Scriven is Mercy Corps’ Senior Director for Strategic Programs, serving as the agency’s lead on gender, young people and protection. Karen is passionate about investing in young people as leaders of today: young people represent possibility and powerful source of hope, determination and resilience, with the ability to drive lasting, positive change.
Ms. Scriven has over 25 years of experience in the global humanitarian aid field, serving in a variety of leadership roles in both overseas and HQ locations and focused on programming, thought leadership, fundraising and partnership development. Ms. Scriven collaborates with regional and country teams on being intentional about the “who” we are reaching to achieve outcomes, designing innovative youth-led and managed initiatives, and building the evidence around what works to build young people’s resilience at the individual, household and community levels. Karen has spent 17 years with Mercy Corps over the past two decades, and has also worked with Plan International USA and in the Caucasus with Save the Children.