A Brief History
K-Squared was founded in 2003 by Karen E. Daitch and Karyn Kane Williams. Having most recently worked together creating and managing some of the high-tech industries most venerable conferences, they started K-Squared to offer companies an alternative solution to in-house special event management.
In recent years, companies began downsizing and even closing their event departments. Most companies still realize the value of hosting special events, they simply no longer have the budget to sustain a full time events staff. We formed K-Squared, in response to this changing marketplace, providing companies with another option.
Karen E. Daitch, Partner
Karen E. Daitch has worked in special event management for more than 13 years. Her experience spans various types of special events including non-profit black-tie fundraisers, nationwide sports marketing campaigns, large association meetings and first-class corporate events.
Most recently, Karen spent three years at IDG Executive Forums working with all aspects of esteemed technology industry events, such as AGENDA, DEMO and VORTEX. As the Conference Program Manager, Karen managed programmatic content for the DEMO Conferences, including recruitment of top executives and exhibitors. During her time at IDG, Karen garnered a vast array of high-level contacts through her management of the industry's top executives.
Prior to joining IDG, Karen spent two years as an independent contractor assisting organizations to streamline their event management. For ProServ, Inc., Karen helped develop the first in-house events team for their sports marketing consulting division. In that role, she shaped and managed five major markets as part of a nationwide direct-to-consumer educational initiative. Karen began her career at a non-profit foundation in Washington, DC where she coordinated large high caliber fundraisers that generated over $1.4 million a year for area childrens charities.
Karyn Kane Williams, Partner
Karyn Kane Williams has more than 19 years experience in event production and management, content development and speaker recruitment.
As Managing Director of Program Development for IDG Executive Forums, she spent five years producing the venerable Agenda, DEMO and VORTEX conferences. Karyn has worked closely with executive producers and industry luminaries, Bob Metcalfe, James Fallows, John Gallant and Chris Shipley, as well as numerous executives serving on the event Advisory Boards under her management. In her tenure at IDG, she also acted as Brand Manager for the AGENDA and VORTEX conferences, overseeing every aspect of event production including marketing, sales, and operations.
Prior to joining IDG, Karyn spent four years managing domestic and international institutional investor conferences and client services events for Robertson, Stephens & Company. Prior to moving back to her hometown San Francisco, she worked for the Bush Administration in various capacities. Her experience included acting as Northeast fundraising coordinator under the tutelage of political strategist, Mary Matalin at the Republican National Committee; serving on The Presidential Inaugural Committee; managing conferences for the RNC's premier fundraising group, the Republican Eagles; and managing special events for U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills in The White House. In her spare time, Karyn founded a fundraising event, San Francisco Taste of The South, benefiting the Alzheimers Association and she served as a board member of Academy of Friends, a Bay Area charity that raises funds for HIV/AIDs service organizations.