Karen Kerr leads a team focused on making investments and developing partnerships in the advanced manufacturing ecosystem and is also an mHUB Board member.  Karen comes to GE with two decades of experience in developing technology based businesses and venture investing. Previously, she served as senior director of new ventures and alliances at the University of Southern California (USC) Stevens Center for Innovation where she was responsible for accelerating the formation of startup companies out of university research. Before joining USC, Karen led business development at Intellectual Ventures, served as a managing director at ARCH Venture Partners, and founded Agile Equities LLC, a venture development company specializing in emerging technology companies. Focused on venture education and technology advancements, Karen has held a variety of board roles for organizations including the Center for Venture Education, the National Science Foundation SBIR/STTR Advisory Committee, and National Institute of Standards and Technology Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology. Highly acclaimed, Karen was named one of LA’s Top Innovators in 2012 by C Suite Quarterly, selected to C200 leading business women in 2004, and selected by Crain’s Chicago Business for its 40 under 40 list of leading business professionals in Chicago. Karen earned a Doctorate in Physical Chemistry from the University of Chicago and an Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Bryn Mawr College.