Meet Karen R. Jenkins

We're excited to welcome Karen R. Jenkins as the Richland Library's newest Entrepreneur-in-Residence. In advance of her residency, we wanted to ask her a few questions to help you get to know her better.

How did you get into your profession?

In 2007, I was laid off which ended my 23 year corporate career in banking and finance.  It was challenging to find a comparable position, so I took the step of into the unknown world of entrepreneurship.  It has been the best move I’ve ever made.

Was it something you always wanted to do or did it develop over time? Or even fall into your lap?

I never thought I would be an entrepreneur.  My plans were to retire from banking and go off to teach in my later years.  I was laid off so you can say I fell into it.

If you could sum up your company's goal in one sentence, what would it be?

To positively impact the lives of our community through employing others and providing exceptional service to our clients.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

As a small business owner, the best advice I’ve received is I can’t do it all.  Leverage my strengths and outsource my weaknesses.

What do you most look forward to doing as part of your residency with the library?

I am most looking forward to pouring into and assisting the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Columbia and surrounding areas.  I wish I had someone to guide me and leverage their expertise when I launched and grew my business.  It will be nice to provide the support I wish I had to others.

To learn more about the library's Entrepreneur-in-Residence program, schedule an appointment or find upcoming Small Business and Entrepreneur events, click here.