Karen Lightman

Karen Lightman is Executive Director of Safety21 and Metro21: Smart Cities Institute at CMU and was recently appointed adjunct courtesy faculty in CMU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Karen is an internationally recognized leader in building and supporting communities based on emerging technologies. Karen has expertise with commercializing academic research, building industry-based consortiums and strategically leading teams to explore market-based opportunities. Her diverse background spans the consumer, healthcare, manufacturing, and automotive sectors. Karen was once ranked by EETimes as one of the top 25 “Women in Tech” and is in the MSIG/SEMI Hall of Fame. She is a passionate advocate and spokesperson for technology solutions to real-world problems and has held several board positions both locally and nationally. Karen has a BA from the University of Vermont and a MS in Public Policy and Management from CMU’s Heinz College. The proud mom to two adult children, Karen lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband and dog.