Episode 294: Karen Long (replay)

In this week’s episode, we revisit our interview with Karen Long, a Managing Director at KCK (Med Tech) Group. KCK focuses on capital investment in commercial and growth-stage medical device companies. Karen has been with KCK since January 2018, when she joined as Executive-in-Residence. Karen serves as Board Director in many KCK portfolio companies as well as Independently.

Prior to KCK, Karen was President and CEO of Nuelle, a women’s consumer health company incubated at ExploraMed, a Silicon Valley medical device incubator. Nuelle was acquired in 2017.

Karen has spent over 20 years in medical devices and diagnostics developing and marketing novel and market leading products focused on improving quality of life. She has held a series of key operating roles in consumer diagnostic companies, ChemTrak and Inverness Medical and eventually management positions at LifeScan, a Johnson & Johnson company, after the acquisition of Inverness Medical. In early 2007, Karen joined Acclarent as Worldwide Vice President of Marketing and led Acclarent’s marketing efforts through rapid growth and ultimately through the acquisition by Johnson & Johnson. Karen held remained at Johnson & Johnson until joining the ExploraMed incubator in 2012. Acclarent was also an early spinout from ExploraMed.

Karen began her career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker after receiving her undergraduate and graduate degrees from San Diego State University.