Karen Atiles

Karen Atiles is a distinguished leader with over two decades of experience in the United States Air Force, where she directly impacted the careers of more than 12,000 military and civilian personnel. During her service, she mentored military leaders from Ukraine, Bulgaria, the UK, and Romania, and created a 2-week International Training Course that has since shaped military leadership in 12 countries. Karen’s dedication to cultural and diversity awareness and advocacy remains a hallmark of her leadership, guiding teams through numerous missions and instilling resilience.
Currently, as the driving force behind Lifelong Development, Karen leverages her extensive leadership experience to steer her team in guiding organizations through uncharted leadership and operations territories to achieve positive outcomes. Since 2016, her Lifelong Development team has worked with companies locally and across 11 U.S. states, as well as in 8 countries spanning Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Beyond her professional work, Karen continues to add value to others through leadership roles in organizations, including President of Women Business Owner’s Network of the Triangle (WBON), and board chairs of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), the Apex Chamber of Commerce, and City Club Raleigh. In her personal life, Karen and her husband are dedicated to raising their two daughters as conscious influencers. They enjoy experiencing the world and have visited 46 countries to date.