Karen Emmerson

Karen joined Edge in 2011 and has over eight years of experience in strategic research design, implementation, and analysis. She conducts quantitative and qualitative research, with expertise in phone, in-person, and online data collection. She excels at turning complex data into an understandable and compelling story that clients can easily translate into action.

Karen works with both non-profit and corporate entities, and her current client list includes the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Meals on Wheels Association of America, the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), Kaiser Permanente, Transamerica, and the Alliance for Aging Research.

Prior to joining Edge, Karen provided strategic advice as a Research Analyst at Lake Research Partners. She conducted political polling for local, state, and federal races on several issues, including emerging demographics in the American electorate, improving youth turnout, and marriage equality. In 2010, she collaborated on an in-person survey of rural women in Liberia, where she trained and managed a team of interviewers.

Karen has a Master’s degree in Political Management with an emphasis in Polling and Strategic Research from The George Washington University and a degree in Statistics and Political Science from the University of Iowa. She is also a RIVA-certified moderator. In her spare time, Karen enjoys taking dance classes and volunteers with Streetwise Partners, an organization dedicated to providing mentoring in professional development to low-income individuals in the Washington, D.C. area.