Karen ‘Dawn’ Blondel is a pioneer in civic engagement, with a focus on sustainable economic development and environmental resiliency. She is one of the 2023 recipients of the David Prize, which recognizes New Yorkers with ideas for extraordinary change, a Harvard Loeb Fellow, and the current Executive Director of the Public Housing Civic Association. On a typical week, you can find her boots-on-the-ground liaising with contractors, hosting an affordable housing workshop, attending city council meetings on local laws and spending accountability, or negotiating with real estate developments to increase the benefits they will bring to the local economy. Karen also manages to personally cook for almost all of her local Red Hook, NYCHA resident meetings, where participants are learning about building science and stewardship. Karen’s story gives insights into the consistent practice of being a community leader, as well as investing in the next generation of civic leaders, making their city a better place.

Introducing Good Standing, a social network and new media platform for driving real-world impact. Good Standing is brought to you by Radiical Systems, a venture capital studio based in New York City, led by Ashley Taylor and Kurt McVey. Our first podcast introduces what this platform does, why we built it, and how you can get involved. Future episodes will feature conversations with creators, community leaders, entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders, focusing on constructive, innovative solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. Find us at http://goodstanding.app, or http://radiicalsystems.com, and let us know how you want to get involved or if you have a story to share.