MESSAGE 17: KAREN BOWLING
Karen Bowling
Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of North Florida
Question: As a leader, what is your message to Americans who are frightened about the future due to the Coronavirus?
Message: While I can’t recall a time like this in our history, I am reminded of a quote by author Vivian Greene, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”
My spirits have been lifted by the stories of so many people who have learned to dance in the rain. I have been inspired seeing families figuring out how to check on their loves ones in nursing homes, from home-made signs to forklifts to see those patients on the high floors. I’ve loved seeing teachers having drive-by parades to see their students and parents holding drive-by birthday parties so their children can see their friends and have some sense of normalcy.
I find great comfort and hope in all the acts of kindness I have seen recently. I hope we don’t lose that when we get back to the “new normal.”
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Karen began her role as the first Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of North Florida in January of 2019.
She started her career in television news in Jacksonville after graduating from the University of North Florida.
She transitioned to a career in healthcare marketing and management, before catching the entrepreneurial bug, and co-founded Solantic, a walk-in urgent care company now operating under the name CareSpot. After serving as CEO for ten years, she joined Mayor Alvin Brown as the Chief Administrative Officer with the City of Jacksonville.
In addition to her entrepreneurial career, Karen has been on many notable boards. She serves on the 4th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, is the immediate past chair of the Florida State College District Board of Trustees, and serves on the Board of Security Devices International, a Boston based less-lethal weapons company.
Karen is a graduate of both Leadership Jacksonville and Leadership Florida.
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Photo: Courtesy Karen Bowling