Karen Rodriguez-Ponciano (she/her/ella) grew up in Tijuana, México and has spent the last 10 years traveling and living between San Diego, San Francisco and New York. Karen graduated from the University of California – Berkeley, where she studied Sociology, Design and Technology Entrepreneurship. She currently works in the tech sector, conducting research at the intersection of systems design and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Karen is passionate about mental health advocacy, inclusive design and outdoor accessibility. She’s especially dedicated to bringing more Latinx representation to climbing and mountaineering. She is currently involved with ‘Escalemos Juntes,’ a climbing collective celebrating Latinx climbing representation in the Bay Area. In her free time, Karen likes spending time away from screens, backpacking, scrambling and climbing in the alpine.