Karen Meppen

Karen Meppen is a powerhouse in data strategy with over 20 years of experience transforming business challenges into data-driven opportunities. Known for architecting privacy-forward, AI-enhanced ecosystems, she’s led digital innovation across fintech, medtech, insurance, education, retail, and transportation & 3rd-party logistics sectors—always with a clear eye on customer value, security, and scale.

As the founder of Village Consulting, Karen helps Southern Nevada’s most forward-thinking organizations harness the power of AI to unlock smarter, faster growth. Her previous role as Director of Client Services at Hakkoda showcased her knack for blending vision with execution: accelerating Snowflake adoption and implementing AI governance frameworks that actually stick.

Karen doesn’t just build data frameworks—she builds momentum. At Slalom, she directed high-profile data governance initiatives, formed strategic partnerships, and championed scalable policies that enhanced data literacy and operational efficiency. She’s also a founding member of the Data Product Leadership Community (DPLC), a community of data product management and UX leaders who focus on AI products and analytics solutions.

Certified in everything from privacy (CIPP/US, CIPM, CIPT) to cloud architecture (AWS), Karen’s credentials are as deep as her commitment to doing things the right way. Her work has earned her recognition as a thoughtful, future-focused leader in AI governance and digital transformation.

Karen’s most complex operating system is her family. She spends her off-hours keeping up with two energetic kids and a wonderfully patient husband. She’s even been known to bend AI to her will for clever mom hacks—because if AI can optimize metadata management, why not bedtime, laundry, and last-minute science projects?