Karen was born in San Francisco, where her parents lived briefly, and spent her early years in Bergenfield, New Jersey. However, she really grew up in Virginia Beach, since her family moved there in 1975. After graduating from Cox High School, she attended George Washington University in Washington, DC, and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. Karen settled in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of the District in 1991, but in 1996 she realized that there is indeed "no place like home", and recruited her parents to help her find a house. While seeking quotes for the company brochure, she met her future husband, Kurt. When she's not at the bindery (she usually works the Monday-Saturday week), you can find Karen out walking their dogs, Murphy, Sacha and Rally, or volunteering at Norfolk Animal Care Center to help the city's homeless dogs and cats try to find homes. Karen is also on the board of Friends of Norfolk Animal Care Center, a 501 non-profit that seeks to increase awareness of, and support for, the city's shelter.