Karen Issokson-Silver

Karen Issokson-Silver, VP Research & Education, oversees proprietary research, program evaluation, and the development of educational resources at the Women’s Sports Foundation. She directs the organization’s robust research agenda to drive programming and advocacy within the girls' and women’s sports/health/gender equity sectors. Areas of focus include gaps in access, barriers, and opportunities to promote equity, with a focus on underserved and marginalized communities. Among the most recently published reports: Communities at the Forefront: Elevating Girls’ Sports through Local Programs (2020); Keeping Girls in the Game: Factors that Influence Sport Participation (2020); Chasing Equity: The Triumphs, Challenges and Opportunities for Girls and Women in Sports (2020); Coaching Through a Gender Lens: Maximizing Girls’ Play and Potential (2019).

Ms. Issokson-Silver has worked closely with WSF’s corporate and foundation partners, such as Nike, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Athleta, Proctor & Gamble, ESPN, NoVo Foundation, and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation to support new research and programming initiatives. In 2020, with support from Yahoo Sports, Karen led the development of WE PLAY INTERACTIVE, a digital resource aimed at training coaches and program leaders around a social/emotional and activist framework, designed for working with girls, ages 8-13. We Play Interactive is centered on theme-based activity modules that reinforce training and offer holistic activity-based learning opportunities for young people.

Ms. Issokson-Silver also serves as a WSF spokesperson with media and at industry conferences, most recently Aspen Institute Project Play (2019). She is a member of the Michigan Task Force on Women in Sport and the National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) Sport Sector Committee.

Prior to joining WSF in 2016, Ms. Issokson-Silver spent 30 years working in the not-for-profit arena focusing on community health, education and social justice. She has a Master of Public Health degree from New York University, specializing in Community Health Education.