We had the chance to sit down with Karen Frame, the CEO and Founder of Makeena. Makeena is part of a larger movement — a movement to build better businesses by connecting consumers with conscious brands. Being a Certified B Corporation means Makeena is socially responsible and committed to being proactive in making positive impact on the planet. Makeena gives back to environmental nonpro?ts as a member of 1% for the Planet and partners with other socially impactful companies. Let’s get to know Karen a little bit better.
Karen, thank you for being here. Tell us a little bit about you and your background:
my name is Karen Frame, I am the CEO and Founder of Makeena – a company focused on discovery and real-time data insights for “better” brands. I am a three-time founder in tech, and a two-time founder in the natural products space.
As a former General Counsel and Associate General Counsel for both privately and publicly-held software, data storage, market research, and communications companies, I am truly a “Karen of All Trades” with over 30 years of legal experience. I have worked with a myriad of executive management teams and boards of directors, and my practice was focused on commercial contracts and transactions, compliance issues, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, employment matters, real estate sales and leases, and intellectual property matters.
Before moving to Colorado in 1993, I was a Business Law Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois College of Commerce and a former Assistant State’s Attorney. I hold a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, studied international law at the University of Oxford in England, and earned my B.S. in Business and Accounting from Indiana University. I am a member of the Colorado, Illinois, and Washington State Bars, and I am also a licensed real estate broker in Colorado and registered as a CPA in Illinois.
In my spare time, Karen has served on the Board of Directors and as President of the Association of Corporate Counsel – Colorado, and taught entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado, mentored teens in the justice system, and has sat on various charitable and professional boards.
What is a fun fact about you?
I sung with Karen and Richard Carpenter as a kid!
Why do you think climate change and sustainability is such an important topic today?
Because we’re all affected. From extreme weather to increasing food prices, to recreation and decreased opportunities to appreciate the world, people everywhere are feeling the effects of climate change. Tackling climate change and sustainability is fundamental in creating a planet where people and nature thrive.
What do you envision your industry looking like 10 years from now?
Our industry will be mainstream. According to Economic Research Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “[e]ven in 2021, consumers prefer organically-produced food because of their concerns regarding health, the environment, and animal welfare, and they show a willingness to pay the price premiums established in the marketplace. “Organic products have shifted from being a lifestyle choice for a small share of consumers to being consumed at least occasionally by a majority of Americans. National surveys conducted by the Hartman Group and Food Marketing Institute during the early 2000s found that two-thirds of surveyed shoppers bought organically grown foods.”
What can the average consumer do to support conscious brands?
Use his/her wallet to buy better products. Every one of us can make a difference as conscious consumers.
Karen, thank you for being here to discuss your vision for connecting consumers with conscious brands.
Karen is a guest on The Green Podcast, hosted by Green Success Stories CEO Dylan Welch. Listen to the podcast here.