OPEN MINDS Strategy Editor, Karen Sjoblom, brings many years of health care, scientific, medical, and high-tech writing and editing skills to the team. With a background in community health and journalism, she started in nonprofit communications and then spent time learning about various aspects of environmental remediation, advertising, technology, education, and more, primarily as a freelancer.​

After working with varied clients like American Express, Air Life of Oregon, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Les Turner ALS Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Providence Health Care, Scottsdale Institute, Standard Insurance, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and others, she continues to learn about new technologies and health system/health equity advancements, and appreciates the opportunity to share such gains to various populations through her writing.​

Karen also has a heart for various societal issues. She cofounded and ran a nonprofit serving single moms and their children in Portland, Oregon, for nine years, and has volunteered her time to write curriculum, grants, and marketing collateral for nonprofits serving refugees, the recovery community, foster kids/families, and many other causes.​

Other fun facts: She was born and raised outside of Chicago and has the flat Midwestern A’s to prove it, has one adult child who’s an ESL teacher in Japan, has played piano since she was four (but barely sight-reads music), and lives in a beautiful town in southern Indiana renowned for its architecture. She’s grateful to be part of the OPEN MINDS team.​