Karen Thompson

Translating fear or paranoia into a productive or healthy act is the focus of Karen Thompson's keynote. Thompson is the author of the award-winning book 'The Age of Miracles,' which was acknowledged with the 2011 Sirenland Fellowship and a Bomb Magazine friction prize. Her speeches emphasize the similarities between one's fear and a story; she encourages her audiences to take control of their fears, the same ways an author takes control of a story.

Thompson studied English and creative writing at UCLA before attending the MFA program at Columbia University in New Your City. upon graduation, she began working as a book editor at Simon & Schuster. She began writing her book during this time, in the mornings before work and occasionally while on commuting on the subway.

Karen Thompson's keynote explore the different ways individuals and businesses and CEOs can gather insight from the fear they experience.