Karp Strategies hires Engle as managing principal, strategy & operations

Manhattan, NY WBE/DBE/SBE-certified mission-driven urban planning and strategy consultancy Karp Strategies has hired experienced operations leader Rebecca Engle to serve as the firm’s first managing principal, strategy & operations. In the new role, Engle will work hand in hand with Karp Strategies’ CEO Rebecca Karp and the firm’s executive leadership team, scaling business operations as the firm grows and takes on large-scale economic development, real estate, and renewable energy projects in the tri-state region and beyond.

“As Karp Strategies becomes a larger firm, our goal is to develop best-in-class systems that support our team and enable us to deliver the same high quality of services to our clients,” said Karp. “Becca’s strong track record and decades of experience building mission-driven organizations will be critical as we continue to expand, allowing myself and the executive leadership team more time to focus on content and strategy work. Crucially, in addition to her tremendous business acumen, Becca shares our commitment to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion — not just in the guidance we offer clients but in the way we do business ourselves.”

Engle joins Karp Strategies from Start Small Think Big Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion in entrepreneurship. As COO, she established practices that were crucial to the growth of the organization's workforce, which more than doubled in size during her three years at the helm. In this role, Engle also helped steer the nonprofit’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB), bringing on a DEI Director and systematically addressing hiring practices.

“I look forward to bringing my passion for building effective and people-focused systems to support the leadership team in driving Karp Strategies’ growth and streamlining its efficiency. Throughout my career I've been committed to scaling organizations with social impact focused missions, and now I'm proud to be joining a firm whose dedication to creating thriving communities and regional economies through data-driven, inclusive economic development services align with my core values,” said Engle.

Previously Engle was a member of the senior management team at adMarketplace, one of the largest search advertising networks, where helped to support the company’s growth in the sector. She began her career at the Share Group, providing fundraising and lobbying services to non-profits and a consultant in West Africa for the Anti-Poverty Initiative and the Millennium Cities Initiative while completing a Masters program at Columbia University in international affairs.

Karp Strategies welcomes Engle at a moment when the firm is working on big projects across a range of sectors and geographies. Last year, Karp Strategies expanded in the tri-state region and beyond. 

In the tri-state area, the firm created a first-of-its-kind workforce development resources website in partnership with NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority); implemented an innovative stakeholder engagement process for the City of New Rochelle as part of New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative; unveiled the Riverbend Master Plan for climate resilience and equitable community development in Middletown, Con.; conducted feasibility studies for the Hartford-Brainard Airport Visioning Plan; and identified community priorities for a regional network of pedestrian and bicycle facilities for the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.