Karen Finney

Karen is a political commentator for CNN and co-host of The Prep Session with Maria Cardona and Karen Finney, a podcast examining the intersection of politics, media, culture, and strategy. She previously hosted Disrupt with Karen Finney on MSNBC, Represent Our Voice on TV One, and programs on SiriusXM radio.

Her commentary and writing have appeared in national media outlets including The Washington Post, TIME, CNN Opinion, The Daily Beast, and U.S. News & World Report. She is known for helping audiences move beyond headlines to understand the larger cultural, social, and political forces shaping American life and for connecting today's events to broader questions about leadership, trust, identity, belonging, and democracy.

Karen's career spans politics, government, corporate leadership, education, and advocacy. She was the first African American Communications Director and spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee and later as a senior adviser and senior spokesperson during Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. Earlier in her career, she served as Deputy Press Secretary to First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Press Secretary during Hillary Clinton's 2000 U.S. Senate campaign, and Deputy Director of Presidential Scheduling for President Bill Clinton.

Beyond politics, Karen served as Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer of Scholastic Inc., where she worked closely with executive leadership to strengthen management capabilities, improve organizational effectiveness, and support the company's expansion into new education and learning markets. She also served as Communications Director and Chief Spokesperson for the New York City Board of Education, including during the aftermath of September 11, an experience that helped shape her expertise in crisis communications, institutional leadership, stakeholder engagement, and organizational reputation management.

Today, Karen advises candidates, elected officials, nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, corporations, foundations, and mission-driven leaders on strategic communications, media engagement, executive positioning, public affairs, crisis management, and leadership communications. Drawing on decades of experience helping high-profile leaders navigate complex public environments, she works with clients to communicate with greater clarity, credibility, and impact. Her consulting work combines strategic insight, communications expertise, political intelligence, and practical leadership experience gained across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Karen's work has also extended beyond domestic politics to include high-profile national and international advocacy efforts. She has advised leaders, organizations, and public figures navigating complex communications challenges involving government, media, diplomacy, and public opinion, including contributing to the successful campaign that helped secure the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russian detention.

Karen is also deeply committed to strengthening democracy and expanding civic participation. She serves as Co-Founder and Co-Chair of One Million Black Voters Rising, a national voter registration and civic engagement initiative focused on building long-term civic participation and political power. She is also Co-Convener of the Black Women's Leadership Collective and currently serves on the boards of End Citizens United, Power Rising, and UltraViolet. She previously served on the board of Reproductive Freedom for All, where she helped guide the organization's rebranding and strategic repositioning during a pivotal moment in its history.

A sought-after speaker and moderator, Karen brings audiences inside the conversations shaping politics, culture, leadership, media, and public life. Drawing on a career that spans the White House, presidential campaigns, corporate leadership, advocacy, and journalism, she helps audiences understand not only what is happening, but why it matters and what it means for the future.

Karen is the daughter of a civil rights lawyer and a labor negotiator. As a biracial woman and a child of the Loving generation, her worldview has been shaped by a life lived across many of the divides that have defined and shaped American history. Growing up with deep ties to communities whose experiences often looked very different from one another gave her an early understanding of both the possibilities and contradictions of the American story.

That perspective continues to inform her work exploring the intersections of race, identity, culture, politics, and belonging. Her work is grounded in a belief that understanding one another—and understanding the forces shaping our society—is essential to building a stronger democracy and a more inclusive future.