Samantha Karlin

Samantha Karlin is the CEO of Empower Global, a DEI training and consulting firm. Empower also runs a groundbreaking women’s leadership challenge for small groups of women leaders from around the world.

She is also a facilitator for Equal Reality, which utilizes virtual reality for DEI, and for Korn Ferry. Samantha has trained global employees from dozens of major companies on operationalizing diversity, equity and inclusion principles into their daily practices, including people leaders at Slalom, RB, Verizon, Fidelity Investments, ABinBev, DSI, General Dynamics, Coldwell Bankers and on.

She speaks all over the world about gender issues, including at Harvard University, Tufts University, IE University, Indian Institute for Management, the Horasis Global Conference, etc., and is a TEDx speaker. She is the host of Samanthropolitics, a talk show about global politics and women’s rights, which averages 20K views per weekly episode. She has hosted guests like Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Chief CDO of the US State Department, Gina Abercrombie- Winstanley, Admiral James Stavridis, and beyond.

Previously, Samantha led global engagement for a Silicon Valley tech company, led gender equality for Ashoka, built coalitions for the Hillary for America campaign, and managed the women’s issues portfolio for the US Embassy in Sarajevo, BiH. Ms. Karlin holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy with a specialization in global gender analysis and conflict resolution from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She is a trained mediator and speaks Spanish fluently.

She has been published in the Washington Post, Conscious Company Magazine and Women2.0, and is a New America expert. She is currently working on a book on Feminist Leadership with Lina Abirafeh, noted women’s rights activist.