Meet Karen Vavrek, the Manager of the Central Alberta Innovation Network

Karen Vavrek, Manager of Research Partnerships & Student Engagement, Division of Applied Research, Red Deer Polytechnic

My role is responsible for fostering strategic partnerships, supporting entrepreneurs and Small to Medium Entreprises, securing funding, and promoting student engagement across applied research projects.

The majority of my professional career has been spent working in the charitable sector, with the last 20 years serving in CEO and other senior management roles with national charities. I have a degree in Business Administration with a background in communications, community collaboration, program development and public relations.

A key part of my position is to manage the Central Alberta Regional Innovation Network (CARIN) which drives technology adoption, innovation, entrepreneurship and regional collaboration.

I have over 20 years’ experience in board governance, business & strategic planning, fundraising, social enterprise innovation, fundraising and project/people management. This experience will assist me in helping drive collaboration among stakeholder partners in the innovation ecosystem to support SME’s and entrepreneurs in Central Alberta.

I am a native-Albertan having lived in different communities across the province, north to south and in-between! I currently live in Sylvan Lake where I enjoy the lake life with my husband, two sons and our dog Wyley. I enjoy many outdoor activities including hiking, biking, paddleboarding, and boating.

To connect with Karen, please email her at Karen.Vavrek@rdpolytech.ca