Karen Compton is Principal of A3K Consulting, a consortium of business management consultants specializing in the AEC environment. In this capacity, Ms. Compton oversees a team of professionals focused on the development of transformative business strategies and solutions that reflect an organization’s long- and short-term goals.  

Ms. Compton has more than 20 years of experience in business management including business development (sales), marketing and strategic planning; and more than five years in the public sector, where she served as the director of the small business program for a major water utility.  A nationally featured speaker for several organizations including the AIA Knowledge Practice Community, American Institute of Architects, the Society of Design Administration, the American Society of Landscape Architects and PSMJ Resources, Ms. Compton is regularly featured on the subjects of business development and business planning. 

Additionally, she is the Executive Producer and co-host of Breaking the Silence of Design with her lauded friend, Gabrielle Bullock, FAIA—a vodcast you can check out on YouTube that focuses on the issues of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in the design and construction profession.

In today’s episode, we discuss how your practice can prepare for the next recession.