Karen Korponai, Guiding conscious companies in their quest to turn Visions into Reality

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Chief Creator of Strategic Partnerships, Karen Korponai is a super connector. Through Konscious Konsulting she is guiding people, companies or foundations to reach their goals of changing the world efficiently and with maximum impact.

FWM: How are you guiding conscious companies in their quest to turn visions into reality? 

The first step to advising any company is establishing a clear vision. Once the vision is clear, it is about finding the right strategic partners and building a team to accelerate and evolve the vision into reality. Clarity is power.

For example, as a founding member of the House of Marley leadership team, I interviewed over 10 branding agencies to find the right fit. Together, we identified key messages in Bob Marley’s music and then translated them into brand values and products that would spread his message across multiple platforms. The mission was to spread Bob Marley’s vision through high-quality, earth-friendly audio products while maintaining a commitment to charitable causes.

You have to be able to tell the story before you can sell the story and in three years, we launched the House of Marley brand in over 20 countries.  

FWM: Why is this so important to you? Where did it all begin? 

I grew up in a multicultural home and spent my youth in South America. My mother is Bolivian and when we lived in La Paz, she made sure I spent time exploring and visiting the villages around the country. These experiences gave me a different perspective of what life is like for people who may not be “cash rich” but are wealthy in so many other ways. They rely on the land to survive and their creativity, resilience, faith and their level of happiness was (and still is) inspiring. 

My father’s career with the United States Agency for International Development also influenced me in many ways. Living around the world assisting with the development and humanitarian issues showed me that if we help each other, we are all better off.   

In a nutshell, it was my mother’s love for nature and respect for all people and my father’s dedication to helping others that fueled my passion to have a positive impact on people and the planet.

FWM: You’ve traveled to over 70 countries. How has your global life-style permeated into your footprint on life? 

I am fortunate to have traveled to over 70 countries, 40 of which were for work projects. These travel experiences have taught me to adapt quickly to my surroundings and use creativity to achieve my goals anywhere from remote villages to board rooms. 

Working with people from all over the globe has taught me humility and has given me the ability to relate to people from all walks of life. I am usually there to help them, but meeting and working with them inevitably changes me and allows me to grow to be a better person.

It has been said many times; “we are all part of one world”. When I leave someplace, I want to take lessons from the people I have met and leave only footprints. I like to believe each footprint is an act of kindness. And each act has a ripple effect as people embrace positive experiences and feel empowered to touch, move, and inspire others.

FWM: Tell us about Konscious Konsulting. 

Konscious Konsulting is about people, planet, purpose, and prosperity. After participating in a Date With Destiny and Business Mastery event with Tony Robbins, it became clear to me that I no longer wanted a job, but to pursue a purpose. Konscious Konsulting helps me achieve that purpose by guiding people, companies or foundations to reach their goals of changing the world efficiently and with maximum impact. 

Everything we do should align with our values and vision while leaving positive footsteps with our clients and their end-users. My business colleagues joke that I challenge them to “konsult their own konscious” before making decisions. 

One of my favorite quotes may give you some insight into my drive and passion: 

 “Passion is found in the field of the unreasonable. Anything is possible if you are clear about what you want and you have strong enough reasons and a real action plan – if you have unreasonable expectations for what will be required of you and you are willing to meet them.” Tony Robbins

FWM: As a Conscious Business Consultant and Strategist, how have creatively and designed projects to help individuals in remote villages? 

I love to immerse myself in remote villages and genuinely connect with families to understand their needs. From these immersions, I have learned never to underestimate the power of creativity and iterative design that people develop in times of scarcity.

In Bolivia, I supported a project for women, which focused on something I am very passionate about innovative solutions to plastic waste. They collected large plastic bottles, shredded them, and repurposed them to make brooms. Their broom business was created with minimal investment and they were able to help feed their families.

Another simple innovation is Ecobricks; plastic bottles packed with plastic bag waste to make a brick that can be used for making furniture, art, or open building structures. This process originating over twenty years ago from Central America has inspired others to create structures to meet their unique needs. For example, in Uganda, I visited a community that built a public bathroom structure using Ecobricks. The Ecobrick movement raises awareness on plastic pollution, encourages communities to work together, and take collective responsibility for their plastic waste, provokes creativity to produce useful structures and, can generate income. 

A more recent technology offering a solution to plastic waste is 3D printing. I was part of a team that installed a 3D printer in a slum in Africa. We asked the local children to collect plastic bottles, which ended up being source material for the printer. They watched patiently as the 3D printing machine built its first item: a toy car. From plastic bottles to a toy car; this experiment sparked creativity and the community later discussed making roof tiles and toilet seats.

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FWM: What does it take to be a Chief Creator of Strategic Partnerships globally? What is your advice for others? 

It takes patience and perseverance to create strategic partnerships. You have to start dating and build trust before you get married to a partnership. I have found that the strongest and longest-lasting partnerships are those where both company values align with the personal values of the executive team on both sides. Ultimately, it’s about people, communication and building relationships. Secondly, each side of the partnership needs to add value and bring something to the table that’s complimentary.

In order to excel at making strategic partnerships, one must have strong relationships across a myriad of networks. My advice is to become a super connector and build selective long-term relationships. Take a genuine interest in supporting people both professionally and personally. And, select a few targeted events and communities and engage them and add value to them year after year. Some of my favorite events in which I created strategic partnerships include the World Economic Forum, UN General Assembly, Skoll Forum, and Global Citizen Forum. Some of my favorite communities or networks include ACTAI, Global Blockchain Business Council, the Tony Robbins community, and my MBA graduate school Thunderbird.

FWM: Share a few stories about amazing projects that fueled your passion to build awareness and positive change. 

In many areas of the world, access to electricity is not a given. In fact, in Africa, there are over 600 million people who do not have access to electricity. I was thrilled to have joined the Akon Lighting Africa initiative launched by global music star, Akon. We successfully impacted over 1 million rural households in over 10 countries by making cost-effective solar equipment available. This access to solar energy supported the creation of jobs in small businesses and agriculture as well as extending access to education via evening classes. “Everything is possible with electricity and people’s lives and communities will be forever changed!”  said, Akon. 

It was powerful to witness first hand the impact of one solar street light in a village. The entire village would dance, sing, and celebrate the arrival of the solar light. The community dynamics changed as they sat under it at night to socialize, study, and work. 

It was also amazing to sit with a family in their hut huddled around a solar home kit. The kits included small solar panels, a few night lamps, and USB charging for mobile phones. Children could study at night and they no longer had to walk several miles to charge their mobile phones to stay connected with family and businesses.

FWM: What has been the toughest lesson that you have learned? 

Having had the opportunity to collaborate with celebrity brands such as George Foreman, the Marley family, and Akon, I learned the power of celebrity influence. When directed with the right intention and energy, a celebrity can elevate the awareness of any cause. It’s powerful.

However, I also learned how challenging it was for celebrities to stay focused and align with the right partners. Everyone wanted to work with them. The sheer number of projects being pitched and opportunities for partnerships was overwhelming. This coupled with the reality that in some cases people just wanted to use the celebrity’s fame for their own benefit without regard for the celebrity’s vision let alone their best interest. 

It was important to become a trusted advisor and confidant in providing honest feedback to avoid any missteps. That wisdom comes with experience and the trust has to be earned. It helps to get to know your client so it becomes second nature to advise on a strategy that aligns with their values. 

FWM: Share your vision for 2020.

My vision is for a kinder, more aligned world in 2020, which was further heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. I feel this pandemic is a wake-up call for people to focus on what is important and to align that with their daily actions. I also hope that everyone realizes that they do have a responsibility to act with others in mind as their actions do impact more than just themselves.

I see positive shifts towards wellbeing and sustainability being driven by businesses. I expect companies to encourage increased “work from anywhere” flexibility, volunteering and supporting mental wellbeing in the workplace as an integral part of their sustainability policies. I see employees, especially the younger generations, expecting this of companies and pushing them to be braver and more progressive.

My 2020 vision is also aligned with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These goals are like a guidebook and my hope is that they will be embraced by all. Changing an organization, a company, a country, or even the world begins with the simple step of changing yourself and believing that you can make a difference.

Website: karenkorponai.com

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