The Real Pink Ribbon Story: Don’t Be Pink-Washed with Karuna Jaggar

Karuna joined Breast Cancer Action (BCA) as Executive Director in March 2011 to further change the conversation around breast cancer. Throughout her 15-year career in nonprofit leadership and capacity building, Karuna’s work has focused on women’s rights and on eliminating socio-economic inequities.

Karuna began her career working with women’s microenterprises internationally and in the US, providing self-employment and business training, funding and support for low income women. Prior to joining BCA, Karuna was the first Executive Director for the East Bay at the Women’s Initiative for Self Employment, where she worked to reverse economic inequities among low-income women and women of color. Prior to serving as the Executive Director, Karuna led outcome evaluation research for microenterprise organizations, including serving as the first Director of Research and Public Policy for Women’s Initiative. Karuna has served on the board of the California Association of Microenterprise Opportunity (CAMEO) where she chaired the Policy Committee.

Karuna holds a Master’s degree in Economic Geography from UC Berkeley, with a special emphasis on Women, Gender, and Sexuality, and received her BA from Smith College. Karuna is an alumna of the Women’s Policy Institute, a program of the Women’s Foundation of California.