Karen Wong

Karen Wong is a creative strategist and educator developing platforms that empower diverse artists by creating new opportunities, marketplaces, and business models. During her tenure as New Museum's Deputy Director (2012-2021), Wong cofounded the initiatives IDEAS CITY, a festival exploring the future of cities with the belief that art and culture are essential to our metropolises; NEW INC, the first museum-led incubator for art, technology, and design; and ONX Studio, a mixed-reality accelerator and exhibition space. 

Wong is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia GSAPP where she teaches a popular seminar on immersive culture. She sits on the nonprofit boards of Apex for Youth, a mentoring and education program for underserved Asians; Arbutus, David Byrne’s foundation focused on performance and education projects; National Sawdust, a new music performance venue and incubator; Rhizome, a platform for born-digital art; and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.