Karen Pittman

Karen Pittman co-founded the Forum for Youth Investment with Merita Irby in 1998 and served as its President & CEO until February 2021. She then transitioned to a senior fellow role at the Forum, dedicating more of her time and energy to thought leadership and focusing specifically on science-informed strategies for youth success.

As a recognized leader in youth development, Pittman has founded multiple organizations and initiatives that promote youth well-being throughout her career. She began her journey at the Urban Institute, conducting studies on social services for children and families. She then moved to the Children’s Defense Fund and later became a vice president at the Academy for Educational Development.

In 1995, Pittman joined the Clinton administration as director of the President’s Crime Prevention Council. She subsequently joined the executive team of the International Youth Foundation (IYF), helping the organization strengthen its program content and develop an evaluation strategy. Alongside IYF head Rick Little, she took a leave of absence to work with ret. Gen. Colin Powell to create America’s Promise. Upon her return, she and Irby launched the Forum, establishing it as a separate entity from IYF.

Under their leadership, the Forum has established itself as a national nonprofit, nonpartisan “action tank.” The Forum provides ideas, services, and networks that leaders need to make more intentional decisions that benefit young people. The Forum is home to many named centers and initiatives, including the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality, Big Picture Approach Training & Consulting, and SparkAction.

In December 2021, Pittman launched the "Changing the Odds Remix" platform and podcast. She also resumed writing her monthly column for Youth Today in January 2022 after a several-year hiatus. Recently, she became a partner at Knowledge to Power (KP) Catalysts to expand capacity-building efforts in youth development. Pittman currently holds positions as a scholar-in-residence with the National Urban League and an Equity Fellow with the American Institutes for Research. She continues to serve as a governing partner of the SoLD Alliance and takes on various advisory roles with organizations focused on equitable, learner-centered education.

Pittman has been honored with several awards throughout her career, including the National Commission for African American Education Augustus F. Hawkins Service Award (2002), the American Youth Policy Forum Decade of Service Award for Sustained Visionary Leadership in Advancing Youth Policy (2003), and the Healthy Teen Network Sprit of Service Award (2007). She was also named one of the 25 most influential leaders in Afterschool by the National Afterschool Association. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Partners for Livable Cities, joining previous awardees such as President William Clinton and Lady Bird Johnson.