Karena Walshe
About Karena Walshe
Karena Walshe serves as the Head of Impact Partnerships at Web Summit, where she leads initiatives focused on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals. She has extensive experience in global partnerships, having held various roles at Web Summit since 2016 and previously worked at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Les petits frères des Pauvres.
Work at Web Summit
Karena Walshe currently serves as the Head of Impact Partnerships at Web Summit, a position she has held since 2023. Prior to this role, she worked in various capacities within the organization, including Director of Global Partnerships from 2021 to 2022, Director and Partnerships Manager for Global Partnerships from 2022 to 2023, and Team Lead for Global Partnerships from 2018 to 2021. Her tenure at Web Summit spans several years, during which she has focused on building and managing partnerships that support startup innovation and community mobilization.
Education and Expertise
Karena Walshe holds a Master's Degree in Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics from Trinity College Dublin, which she completed from 2013 to 2014. She also earned a Bachelor's Degree in Classical Civilisation and French from the same institution, studying from 2008 to 2012. Additionally, she achieved a Certificate in Executive Leadership from IESE Business School in 2018. Her educational background provides her with a strong foundation in critical thinking and communication.
Background
Before her extensive career at Web Summit, Walshe worked as a Development Associate for Individual and Corporate Giving at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 2012. She also served as a Volunteer Coordinator at Les petits frères des Pauvres in 2010. Her early career experiences contributed to her skills in partnership development and community engagement.
Achievements
In her current role at Web Summit, Karena Walshe has been involved in impact partnerships across a global suite of events since October 2023. She leads initiatives that focus on showcasing startup innovation and mobilizing communities to support climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Additionally, she plays a role in corporate transformation efforts aimed at addressing climate change within the organization.