Career Highlights

• President and CEO of Women Entrepreneurs Inc.
• Founded the Small Business Survival Committee
• In 2000, Fortune Small Business named Kerrigan to its Power 30 list of key advocates in Washington
• Appointed to serve on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel by the US Treasury Secretary
• Served on the boards of: The National Women's Business Center of Washington, D.C., the Business & Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC), and Americans for Technology Leadership.

Karen Kerrigan is an advocate for America’s entrepreneurial sector. Her efforts have led to reforms and initiatives to help cultivate U.S. and global entrepreneurship. Kerrigan graduated with a BA in political science from Cortland College (SUNY) and went on to be the founder of organizations such as the Small Business Survival Committee, the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council and Women Entrepreneurs Inc., a nonprofit business association that helps women business owners succeed through education, networking and advocacy. Kerrigan serves as President and CEO of these organizations. She testifies regularly before the U.S. Congress and has presented at two Economic Summits hosted by George W. Bush.

In 2002 Kerrigan was appointed to serve on the National Women's Business Council and was appointed by the U.S. Treasury Secretary to serve on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel. She is currently on the National Advisory Committee for Labor Provisions of U.S. Free Trade Agreements, and in 2007 joined the board of the Center for International Private Enterprise. In addition to writing a regular column for the American City Business Journal her writings have been featured in the nation’s top newspapers and she has made appearances on ABC’s Nightline, CNN, Fox and many other TV and radio programs.

Karen Kerrigan sits down with ThinkTalk host Lila Merideth to discuss small businesses and how to be successful at starting one. Kerrigan also answers questions from Loyola College students about how to gain experience, how to get a career marketing and how Kerrigan succeeded to become a CEO.