Karen Gutierrez is a graduate of the University of Southern California and has been working in the cultural arts for over twenty years. Her career in Los Angeles has included Events Producer for USC Spectrum & media/sponsorship sales at commercial radio and NPR stations. As the Director of Advertising and Audience Development at the Geffen Playhouse, a regional non-profit theater where she has been a member of the marketing team for the past 16 years, she is currently responsible for the advertising, promotions, events marketing efforts and group sales for all Gil Cates Theater and Audrey Skirball Kenis productions at the Geffen Playhouse. She also managed the Geffen’s social media channels for four years. During the COVID stay at home quarantine, she was responsible for selling and managing over 300 private buyout performances for the Geffen Stayhouse virtual, online programming. In addition to her work at the Geffen, Karen has been a guest speaker and panelist at arts conferences across LA County, serves as a Board Member for VS. Theatre Company in Los Angeles, an Advisory Board Member for Black Rebirth Collective in Los Angeles, and for the past five years has served as a Branding and Strategy Consultant for LAArtsOnline.com. In 2014, she was recognized for her contributions and achievements within the art community as a leading Latina in the Arts by the City of Los Angeles and councilmember 5th district, Paul Koretz and councilmember 6th district, Nury Martinez.