About Karen Kring

I love Evanston and so does my family. My grandfather was born near Emerson and Railroad Ave. and built the home at 1218 Hartrey. My cousins Brian and Bill Peterson are the fourth generation of Elmer and Lucy Swarthout kin to call Evanston home.

A connector, convener and sharer, I've dedicated much of my professional and personal life to bringing relevant, enriching stories to light and bridging the gap between people of different backgrounds.

My professional experience is wide, but focused on journalism, publishing and communication work. Right now I'm running The Kring Group, a media agency specializing in strategic media, photography and journalism focused on innovation.

Before founding what is now The Kring Group, I served as Assistant Director of Media Relations for Illinois Institute of Technology. I connected journalists with interest stories relating to IIT on topic ranging from campus safety to nuclear power.

Public Narrative, once called Community Media Workshop, helps journalists and non-profits tell better stories. I served as its new media manager for four editions of its Getting on the Air, Online and into Print media guide, managed its website, produced its newsletters and then some.

I've bought, sold, assigned, edited or produced photos for the Panoramic Images, General Learning Communications, Associated Press, Rockford Register Star, Sun-Times Media Group, Chicago Tribune and other news outlets.

In 1993 I co-founded PICTURE THIS Projects with other women photographers. It remains a philanthropic organization of photographers, journalists and other community members supporting and creating photo projects that encourage creative expression, self-esteem and community building.