OUR TEAM

KAREN WEISBLATT, Founder
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Karen Weisblatt is a Paris-based consultant to private philanthropies. Her firm specialises in innovative strategic planning, program design, grantmaking and evaluation. She works with major European and American foundations and international NGOs on issues of governance, strategy and fundraising. Her clients range from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and US AID to major corporate philanthropies such as CHANEL to many private foundations, including OSF, the Fondation de France, the Alain B. Rothschild Foundation, and others. She was the European consultant to the Ford Foundation for seven years. Karen has also worked with a number of International NGOs, including the Brussels-based European Youth Forum and Migration Policy Group, as well as several donor collectives.

In the field of social justice/advancing democracy, her publications include the Social Progress Imperative User Study (March 2016), commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation; Shedding Light on Our Own Practice (January 2013), European Philanthropy Learning Initiative; and Championing Diversity: Opportunities for The European Foundation Sector (May 2009), European Foundation Center. In the gender equality sector, Ms Weisblatt's publications include, for Prospera-Women's Funds Europe, Achieving Gender Equality through Feminist Grantmaking: the Women’s Funds Model (January 2023), and Knocking On EU's Door: An Exploration of EU Funding for Gender Equality (March 2019). In collaboration with Ariadne-European Funders for Social Change and Human Rights, she co-authored Ending Violence Against Women in Europe: An Exploration of Philanthropic Giving (December 2017). She also co-authored the landmark study Untapped Potential: European Foundation Funding For Women And Girls (May 2011), Mama Cash and Foundation Center.

Prior to founding her firm, Ms. Weisblatt worked for a decade as Program Director at Sciences Po Paris, where she was an adjunct faculty member. She holds an MPhil (DEA) in Contemporary History and International Relations from the University of Paris I - La Sorbonne, an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a BA in History from Oberlin College, and was a Thomas J. Watson Foundation Fellow in the Soviet Union. She is a Board Member of Fulbright Commission France and CEJI-A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe, and recently concluded eight years as a Board Member of the Chanel Foundation France (2016-2024).

For more information, contact Karen

​STEVEN LAWRENCE,                         SENIOR RESEARCH DIRECTOR

​Steven Lawrence partners with funders, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and others to develop the knowledge they need to make well-informed decisions. He offers deep expertise in applying mixed-methods approaches to the creation of custom research, including landscape analyses, surveys, interview studies, literature reviews, and more.

Previously, Steven served as Director of Research for Foundation Center (now Candid), which represents the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. In his more than 20 years at the Center, Steven led ground-breaking research on philanthropic support for priorities such as human rights, social justice, health policy, education reform, peace and security, and mission investing. He also served as a highly regarded expert on trends in U.S. and global philanthropy.
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Steven received a B.S. in Communications from Cornell University and an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Chicago.

​ELIZABETH BRAHY,                         
​COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

​Elizabeth Brahy has over 10 years’ experience writing, editing, translating and consulting on effective internal and external communications strategies. She joined Weisblatt & associés in 2014 and her main responsibilities include writing reports, researching, editing materials, web content, and managing other communication products critical to the firm’s work.

​Previously, Ms. Brahy worked as Localization Project Manager for the Discovery Channel France, overseeing their English to French documentary adaptations and supervising communications between European headquarters and French service providers. Ms. Brahy graduated with Honors from Wesleyan University and studied for two years at the Paris I – La Sorbonne. She is currently Senior Editor for the online magazine INSPIRELLE,  and Regional Advisor of the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators France, 

​Elizabeth Brahy has over 10 years’ experience writing, editing, translating and consulting on effective internal and external communications strategies. She joined Weisblatt & associés in 2014 and her main responsibilities include writing reports, researching, editing materials, web content, and managing other communication products critical to the firm’s work.

​Previously, Ms. Brahy worked as Localization Project Manager for the Discovery Channel France, overseeing their English to French documentary adaptations and supervising communications between European headquarters and French service providers. Ms. Brahy graduated with Honors from Wesleyan University and studied for two years at the Paris I – La Sorbonne. She is currently Senior Editor for the online magazine INSPIRELLE,  and Regional Advisor of the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators France, 

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