Karen Niemi is the president and CEO of CASEL: The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning. CASEL is the leading non-profit organization dedicated to making social and emotional learning an integral part of American education. Focusing on the three key pillars of policy, research and practice, CASEL is helping to infuse and scale SEL across all 50 states in the US while also providing tools and resources that are currently being used across the United States and in 187 countries worldwide. Prior to joining CASEL, Karen held executive leadership roles in various education and education technology companies focused on social and emotional learning assessment, core content and professional development. Throughout her career, she has effectively translated research into practice across multiple content areas and has affected system-level change in school districts across the nation. Karen received a B.S. from Augustana College and a M.S. from Rush University. She also practices yoga, loves music and nature, and is a proud mother of four.