Karen Brown Stovell

Since 2012 Karen has been the Executive Director of Forward Ever Sustainable Business Alliance.

Recently she co-founded Impact Hub NY Metro; a locally-rooted global community to advance the United Nations 2030 SDGS through Impact Entrepreneurship.

Forward Ever is an independent business alliance that Educates, Promotes, and Advocates on behalf of small LOCAL independently owned businesses.

Through her leadership, Forward Ever has consistently worked to reshape Newark's local business community and raise public awareness of the economic and cultural benefits of a strong LOCAL economy.

As the first urban affiliate of BALLE (now Common Future), the collective goal as a new economy movement across North America, is to rebuild the economy from the ground up bringing LOCAL businesses together to advance economic and environmental sustainability, resilience, and economic inclusion.

Forward Ever created and manages ShopNewark, an award-winning Property Tax Rebate Buy Local Program. The program launched in 2018 after Forward Ever passed the city's first "Buy Local" ordinance.

Forward Ever was celebrated in 2017 by the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (now Invest Newark) as Nonprofit Partner of the Year.

In 2018 Karen was elected to serve as a steering committee member for the NJ Sustainable Business Council. Their focus is to advocate for equitable state-wide policies for small businesses;

Featured in the online publication, Philanthropy Journal News for innovative local economy solutions;

An avid collector, and champion of the arts, Karen curated:

Integration Art 101: Where Art Meets Fashion, featuring the incomparable Bisa Butler.

As well as, The Power of Choice, a photo documentary featuring local independent businesses and change-makers in Newark as part of the annual 2016 Open Doors city-wide arts celebration.

In 2015 Forward Ever was recognized as one of Prudential's 20 Stories of Strength.

Before leading Forward Ever, Karen was the...

Development Director for the Newark Arts Council;

Marketing Director for the Newark Urban Enterprise Zone;

Aide to Jersey City (JC) Mayor Healy;

City of Jersey City Grant Administration;

Political Finance Director the late State Senator and Jersey City Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham;

Political Finance Director for US Senator Cory A. Booker during his 2006 Newark mayoral campaign.