Growing up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Karen Civil had always imagined herself soaring beyond the confines of what was deemed a ‘normal’ life for someone from her hometown. It did not take long for her to discover her calling. She realized the power of the internet early on, and by high school, had already launched popular fan sites for actor JD Williams and The Backstreet Boys. These successes would serve as the beginning of an incredible journey.
Karen’s next encounter with the entertainment business came as an intern for New York City’s HOT 97. As an intern for legendary hip-hop personality DJ Funkmaster Flex, her continued focus on incorporating digital and social media into entertainment allowed Karen to make a name for herself. In just three years’ time, she graduated from her experience at HOT 97 with an arsenal of knowledge that would only help her as she took on a job at Diplomat Records. In directly helping the label’s artists with branding and navigating social media, Karen only boosted her reputation as an asset to wherever she laid her hat. The year 2008 saw the birth of KarenCivil.com. Along with providing coverage on every facet of the culture, the site served as a platform for artists on the rise. Superstars like Drake, Nicki Minaj, and many others can all credit Karen Civil in giving them a chance to share their stories from the beginning. As her own site grew exponentially, things reached a fever pitch in 2010 when she was contacted by Lil’ Wayne’s Young Money imprint. In the midst of legal issues, Wayne appointed Karen to create a way to allow him to connect with fans. Launching an online journal, weezythanxyou.com, paid dividends. The New Orleans rapper’s popularity sustained in his absence and the woman responsible was officially cemented as a power player in entertainment.
The name Karen Civil has become synonymous with forward thinking and positive results. Today, brands such as Carol’s Daughter, Forbes, New Era and Beats by Dre and more have all recognized Ms. Civil’s position as a true maven in the digital realm. MTV named her one of 2010’s Hip Hop MVP’s and Karen has been featured in publications such as XXL, The Source, Hype Hair, Black Enterprise, and Forbes. Her long list of triumphs have allowed her to extend her reach beyond the World Wide Web. Always Civil Enterprise, the full-service consulting and strategy company, continues to help elevate the careers of some of today’s biggest name such as Mary J. Blige, Young Jeezy, YG, and Nispey Hussle. However, as her mission expands, Karen has donated her time and efforts to various charitable causes including the Live Civil school and playground in her home country it Haiti. To further build awareness of the Live Civil brand and to provide tools for empowerment, Karen recently published her first book, Be You & Live Civil: Tools for Unlocking Your Potential & Living Your Purpose.