Member Spotlight: Karen Shaw

Recognized for her robust real estate transactions industry wide, Karen Shaw is a broker at the Corcoran Group in New York City (NYC). As an original member of the CREW New York (NY) chapter, she has served in multiple leadership capacities over the years, including Programs Committee Chair, Membership Committee Chair, and Foundation Chapter Champion.

Her enthusiastic participation dates back to 2001 with AREW (Association of Real Estate Women) before its 2015 transition to CREW NY. Throughout the years, Shaw’s compassionate leadership and grounded advice borne from years of experience has helped dozens of members grow within the ranks of CREW, while providing foundational wisdom for their careers.

With her wide-ranging experience spanning the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, Karen’s multifaceted career trajectory, encompassing finance, public finance investment banking, economic development, public-private partnerships and real estate development, is unique. Armed with a Master of Urban Planning and Policy Analysis and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business, Karen started her career at the NYC Office of Management & Budget as an Assistant Budget Director. She subsequently moved to investment banking at Chemical Bank (now JP Morgan Chase) before returning to public service with successful tenures in NYC government and the non-profit arena.

In the public sector, she held several high-profile positions, as Senior Vice President at the NYC Economic Development Corp., and as Senior Advisor at City Hall on Economic Development & Real Estate. Later, as President/CEO of the Union Square Partnership Business Improvement District (BID), she helped spearhead the commercial, retail, dining, and cultural rejuvenation of Union Square. During her tenure there, she was most proud of her efforts to lead the BID’s fundraising efforts with the City and guide the redevelopment of Union Square Park through a matched $20 million public-private partnership with the NYC Parks Department. Karen’s work was integral to the transformation of a crime-ridden Manhattan district into an internationally recognized, trendsetting destination.

Shaw was concurrently raising two sons, often taking them to meetings at City Hall and the Union Square Partnership, followed by soccer practice and other activities. During the City Hall years, they had ringside seats to game-changing municipal projects, witnessing firsthand how their mother’s commitment to the cultural and commercial sides of the city could produce tangible results for New Yorkers, including plans for Brooklyn Bridge Park, the expansion of MOMA, and multiple Lincoln Center development projects. Today, one son is an attorney and the other is a commercial real estate finance executive at Nuveen Green Capital. Shaw’s husband of nearly four decades continues his career in financial services in this close knit family.

Shaw is currently Vice Chair of the Special Events Committee, serves on the Legacy Leaders and Mentorship Committees, and continues to be an active mentor to CREW NY’s newer members. Over the years, she has applied her seasoned expertise and extensive knowledge of New York City in assisting many CREW NY members with their real estate needs and transactions, whether buying, selling, or investing.

Linda Alexander, Alexander Marketing Corp.

Linda founded Alexander Marketing in 2000, a full-service WBE public relations and communications firm focused on businesses and individuals in the built world, encompassing residential, commercial, and retail brokerage, hospitality, construction, development, architecture, and interior design. Linda’s diverse experience brings together decades of relationships across media, marketing, business, and healthcare.

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