Kari Keating is an award-winning educator who joined the Gies College of Business faculty in 2020 where she teaches courses in leadership, teamwork, and action learning. Kari’s work is focused on helping students develop their leadership capacity as emotionally intelligent change-makers in organizations and communities. Prior to Gies, Kari served as Director of the Minor in Leadership Studies at the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. Kari holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Bradley University, a master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Iowa, and a PhD in Human & Community Development from the University of Illinois. Before her career at Illinois, Kari served in executive roles at the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce in Florida where she built collaborative bridges between the private and public sectors to advance economic development in the region. Kari enjoys reading and traveling and is inspired by her college-aged son and daughter who are emerging leaders in music and environmental science.