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Growing up in Elizabeth, New Jersey usually has one end goal: get married, have kids and work a 9-to-5. But a young Karen Civil dreamed of a more abundant life, channeling her self-taught design talents and need for a community that mirrored her interests into AOL fan sites for the Backstreet Boys and J.D. Williams (The Wire).
Continuing to sculpt a lane between the digital space and the entertainment industry, she found herself under the mentorship of Hot 97's legendary DJ Funk Flex as his trusted radio show assistant, and eventually, through incredible hard work and strategic networking, rap crew The Diplomats' web and marketing director.
Nothing, however, compared to the upward trajectory Karen obtained by connecting with YMCMB (Young Money Cash Money Billionaires), creating a larger social influence for the label and later launching an online journal (www.weezythanxyou.com) for Lil Wayne during his eight-month incarceration in 2010 at Rikers Island.
Since 2008, Karen has stepped from behind the scenes and launched her own eponymous brand in the entertainment culture – KarenCivil.com. Under her own name, by her own rules, she has established her website not only as cultural hub for exclusive entertainment news and interviews, but has also grown her influence into lifestyle brand Live Civil, a more personal, motivational platform that highlights Karen's daily lifestyle and celebrities charitable efforts.
Karen's relentless work ethic and forward thinking has secured her spot on respected industry lists – MTV's Hip Hop MVPs, The Source's Power 30, Ebony Magazine's Power 100 – and has been featured in the pages of Vogue, XXL, VIBE, VIBE Vixen and Complex.
These days, you can find Karen's impact in her native country of Haiti (Live Civil Playground), at several college universities (Live Civil Be You & Live Civil Tour) across the United States and through the marketing campaigns of artists, such as Young Jeezy, Nipsey Hussle and YG.
“I’ll always remain humble. Humble keeps you hungry. Hungry allows you to keep winning. And being known as a winner is one of the best labels you can ever have attached to your name and/or brand.” |
