Meet Karuna Jaggar

Hi. I’m Karuna Jaggar and I lead and coordinate the research and public policy activities at Women’s Initiative.

I have been working in the microenterprise field for a dozen years, mostly internationally. I came to the field fresh out of college because of my belief that business ownership and financial independence is a powerful tool in the social and political empowerment of women. I feel very lucky to be part of Women’s Initiative, which I sincerely believe is doing some of the most innovative and high-quality work around.
I’m one of those people who doesn’t usually take someone else’s word for anything and I generally like to come to my own conclusions after examining the facts. Having the opportunity to really dig into our extensive outcome evaluation data shows me that my commitment to microenterprise and this agency is well founded: Yes, indeed, our clients incomes go up dramatically; They gain self-confidence and they grow assets; Just as importantly they re-shape their communities based on their values and their businesses reflect their commitment to improving the lives of others.

When I am not working I am empowering the next generation of women, raising with my partner our wonderful 2 year old daughter, Rylyn.