Karen Lightman

Executive Director

Metro21

Karen Lightman is Executive Director of Metro21: Smart Cities Institute at Carnegie
Mellon University. Karen is an internationally recognized leader in building and
supporting communities based on emerging technologies. She is well-regarded in
the MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) industry, having helped start and then
lead MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG), the largest industry consortium solely
focused on MEMS and sensors. Under her leadership, MSIG covered every sector of
the MEMS value chain and successfully orchestrated numerous annual
international conferences, workshops and tradeshows. Karen led the successful
acquisition of MSIG by SEMI, the world’s largest semiconductor association. Karen
has expertise with commercializing academic research, building industry-based
consortiums and strategically leading teams to explore market-based
opportunities. Her diverse background spans the consumer, military,
healthcare, manufacturing, and automotive sectors. Karen is ranked by EETimes as
one of the top 25 “Women in Tech” and was inducted into the SEMI/MSIG "Hall of
Fame" in October 2020.  She is a passionate advocate and spokesperson for
technology solutions to real-world problems and has held several board positions
and is currently treasurer on the board of the  MetroLab Network .

Karen has a BA from the University of Vermont (UVM) and a MS in Public Policy
from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. She and her family reside in
Pittsburgh, PA.

Karen Lightman

Executive Director

Metro21

Karen Lightman is Executive Director of Metro21: Smart Cities Institute at Carnegie
Mellon University. Karen is an internationally recognized leader in building and
supporting communities based on emerging technologies. She is well-regarded in
the MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) industry, having helped start and then
lead MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG), the largest industry consortium solely
focused on MEMS and sensors. Under her leadership, MSIG covered every sector of
the MEMS value chain and successfully orchestrated numerous annual
international conferences, workshops and tradeshows. Karen led the successful
acquisition of MSIG by SEMI, the world’s largest semiconductor association. Karen
has expertise with commercializing academic research, building industry-based
consortiums and strategically leading teams to explore market-based
opportunities. Her diverse background spans the consumer, military,
healthcare, manufacturing, and automotive sectors. Karen is ranked by EETimes as
one of the top 25 “Women in Tech” and was inducted into the SEMI/MSIG "Hall of
Fame" in October 2020.  She is a passionate advocate and spokesperson for
technology solutions to real-world problems and has held several board positions
and is currently treasurer on the board of the  MetroLab Network .

Karen has a BA from the University of Vermont (UVM) and a MS in Public Policy
from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. She and her family reside in
Pittsburgh, PA.