Karen Hanrahan

Karen Hanrahan is the President and CEO of the Glide Foundation, a social justice organization based in San Francisco, California. GLIDE is known for its humanitarian work. The organization serves more than 2500 people every day for addiction services, trauma recovery, poverty reduction and homelessness.

Before accepting the position of CEO at GLIDE in 2017, Hanrahan served in senior positions of leading social justice organizations and the United States Government. Hanrahan has served as a senior leader in international human rights and capacity building organizations such as the United States Agency for International Development in Iraq, Amnesty International, Search for Common Ground, and the United Nations.

From 2009 to 2015, Hanrahan served as a White House appointee under President Barack Obama, serving in the State Department as the US Coordinator for International Assistance to Afghanistan and Pakistan and most recently as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. While serving in the State Department, Hanrahan was selected to design and lead the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (the QDDR) by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Hanrahan is a native of Indianapolis and received her Political Science and Journalism degree at Indiana University in 1992. Hanrahan holds multiple advanced degrees. She received a Master of Arts in International Politics with a concentration in peace and conflict resolution from American University. She graduated in 2000 from the University of Washington School of Law with honors and at the top 5 percent of her class. While pursuing her law degree, Hanrahan served as the Law Review editor. Hanrahan also attended Harvard Business School and holds a degree from Harvard’s Advanced Management Program.