Karen Starns is a marketing lecturer for The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, teaching a course in brand and product management. She is CEO of Houseful, a comprehensive real estate technology platform acquired by Royal Bank of Canada in early 2023.

An award-winning technology and real estate industry executive, Starns was previously chief marketing and communications officer at OJO. Her outstanding track record of building global brands, driving growth, and solving complex business challenges has been shaped by more than 25 years in tech, including two leadership stints at Amazon, 13 years at Microsoft, and a global role at Pearson.

Starns is a Fast Company executive board member, speaker, juror, and award-winning marketer. A founding member of the McCombs School’s Master of Science in Marketing Advisory Council, she is currently its chair. An active mentor of women and up-and-coming leaders around the globe, she is also a board member of Miracle Foundation, an international nonprofit that aims to empower vulnerable children to reach their full potential.

Starns has a BBA in marketing from Texas McCombs.