Introducing the Baumhart Center director
“Baumhart is driving societal change, and I’m unbelievably honored to have been chosen as its director,” says Karen Weigert.
Karen Weigert was named the new director of the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility, effective March 1, 2022. She is a transformational leader with a strong track record within all sectors—government, business, and nonprofit—and an unwavering commitment to driving social change through cross-sectoral collaboration and skill building.
“Under her leadership, we will continue to build the Baumhart Center’s nationwide impact and strengthen the incredible Baumhart Scholars MBA program,” says Maciek Nowak, interim dean of Loyola University Chicago’s Quinlan School of Business, which houses the Baumhart Center.
In all of her work, Weigert has focused on the practical ways we all can play a part in building the communities, organizations, and cities we need.
Among her past roles are serving as the first-ever chief sustainability officer for the City of Chicago, a strategy consultant at McKinsey, a documentary film writer and producer of Carbon Nation, and an executive leader at Slipstream, which is a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating climate solutions for everyone. She also is a founding board member of ecountabl, a B Corp that connects consumers to brands that share their values, and a board member of the U.S. Green Building Council, which promotes sustainability through its LEED building certification.
Weigert also has higher education experience. She served as the sustainability executive in residence at the University of Chicago’s Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation and an adjunct professor for sustainability strategy in organizations for Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering.
Her thought leadership has been featured by CBS This Morning, Chicago Tonight, the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and Crain’s Chicago Business. She is also the regular sustainability contributor for WBEZ’s flagship show, Reset.
Weigert succeeds former Baumhart Center Director Seth Green and Interim Director Emily Nordquist.