Karen D. Gephardt

Founder and Managing Director of Fusion Partners Global LLC.

Karen D. Gephardt founded Fusion Partners in January 2010, a global advisory and private placement firm (associated with BTIG). In May 2018, Karen formed her own broker dealer, Fusion Partners Global LLC. The firm raises capital for private companies and alternative investment fund managers globally from institutional investors.

Prior to founding Fusion Partners, Karen worked at Goldman Sachs & Co from 1997 – 2009. During that time, she led the Pensions, Endowments and Foundations Group for North America, serving as a liaison between the largest strategic institutional investing clients of the firm and the various divisions of Goldman Sachs. Karen became Managing Director in 1999 and a Partner in 2004. From 1995 – 1997, she was VP of Strategic Marketing and Business Development at Morgan Stanley & Co. Prior to Wall Street, for almost 10 years, Karen worked for GE Company (1986) and then GE Capital (beginning 1990).

In addition to running her broker dealer, Karen serves on six non-profit boards, as follows: The Board of Directors of The Saber Six Foundation (2022); the Board of Trustees of Iona University (2020); Vice Chair of the Museum of American Finance (2015); Center for a New American Security (2019); buildOn (2012); and The Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation (2005 and Board Member Emeritus since October 2024).

Karen earned a BS degree from Iona University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.