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Karen C. Houghton

CEO and Founder of Infinite Giving

Karen C. Houghton is the CEO and Founder of Infinite Giving, a financial technology firm that modernizes how nonprofits raise and manage money.15 She founded the company in April 2021, with the mission to leverage modern financial technology to grow the world's giving by helping nonprofits invest reserve funds, create and manage endowments, and receive stock and crypto gifts easily.4

Prior to founding Infinite Giving, Houghton served as:

  1. Vice President of Atlanta Tech Village (2013-2021), America's 4th largest tech hub13
  2. Venture Partner at Atlanta Ventures (2018-2021)1
  3. Founder and Executive Director of the Do Good Initiative (2007-2012)1

Houghton has received several awards and recognitions, including:

  • Women In Technology's Woman of the Year Award (2019)
  • Atlanta Technology Professionals' Impact Award (2019)
  • Berry College's Distinguished Alumni Entrepreneurial Spirit Award (2021)
  • Fast Company's World Changing Software recognition for Infinite Giving (2022)
  • Top 40 Most Innovative Technology Company in Georgia for Infinite Giving (2023)1

Recently, it was announced that Houghton will be the closing keynote speaker at The Future is HER conference.2 Under her leadership, Infinite Giving raised a $2 million seed round in October 2024.5

Houghton holds a Bachelor of Science from Berry College and a Master's degree in Psychology from Richmont Graduate University.1 She is also Series 65 certified by FINRA.1

Highlights

Jul 26 · linkedin

When building a great company or pursuing a big dream, consider this rule of thirds:

One third of the time you feel like you are failing. One third of the time you feel okay. One third of the time you feel like you are achieving great success.

If any of the ratio feels off, ask yourself -

Are you taking enough chances? Because disruption often requires failures along the way.

Are you putting in enough effort? Nothing great is created by operating at the status quo.

Are you getting enough rest? The work you are doing is hard.

Welcome to the rule of thirds of entrepreneurship. Feeling that balance and tension?

You are in the right spot.

Jul 15 · linkedin

I met with a founder who was turned down by an investor because…

“She is a mom and good ones don’t have time to run companies”.

Another entrepreneur recently commented on how much family time I post on social media.

I refuse to accept this narrative, and you should too.

Startups are hard. Building a great company doesn’t happen overnight but often in a decade.

You know what else happens in a decade?

Your children grow up. My daughter gets one childhood, and I refuse to miss it.

Infinite Giving is a lean, venture-backed, scaling company. I work almost every night and weekend. It’s the season we are in, and I’m happy to do it.

But yesterday, I closed my laptop and took my daughter out for ice cream before dinner. It’s one of many times I’ve chosen her over work. And I never regret it.

Being a CEO and a mom requires sacrifices.

But you CAN build a great company without sacrificing your family.

Let’s normalize doing both.

Related Questions

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How has Karen C. Houghton's background in psychology influenced her career in tech?
What are some of the key achievements of Infinite Giving under Karen C. Houghton's leadership?
How does Infinite Giving's investment platform differ from traditional nonprofit investment strategies?
What awards and recognitions has Karen C. Houghton received for her contributions to the tech industry?
Karen C. Houghton
Karen C. Houghton, photo 1
Karen C. Houghton, photo 2
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Location

Atlanta Metropolitan Area