Karen Young

With over two decades of experience as a community and cultural organizer, she has worked to highlight taiko drumming and its community roots. Influenced by Japanese-American taiko activists of the 70s, Karen is most interested in using taiko as well as organizing strategies to empower, engage, and inspire people into action. In 2018, she was selected as one of seven Boston AIRs (Artists in Residence) charged with addressing issues of resilience and racial equity by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture and founded Older and Bolder. She is the founder and artistic director of The Genki Spark, co-founder/co-producer of the Brookline Cherry Blossom Festival, and one of the key organizers behind Women and Taiko. She also founded Youth on Board, a nationally recognized youth advocacy organization. Through her own personal experiences, Karen empowers others to share their voice and build communities of love and respect.