Dear GII Community,
It is with great excitement that we welcome two extraordinary leaders to the Board of Directors of Global Impact Innovators (GII): Karon Weber and Christy Johnson.
We are deeply honored that these two accomplished women—each with a unique track record of innovation, mentorship, and impact—are joining our leadership team to help advance our mission of democratizing access to technology, education, and opportunity across Africa.
Karon Weber’s Bio
Karon is a veteran product designer, experience architect, and inventor with four decades of R&D leadership at pioneering companies, including Xerox PARC, Pixar, Yahoo!, and Microsoft. She holds over 40 patents earned by turning emerging technologies into real-world, shipping solutions.
At Microsoft, Karon founded and scaled global STEM education and professional development programs, partnering with organizations like UNESCO, NASA, and BBC Learning. These programs now support over one million students and teachers monthly in more than 160 countries, engaging them with an affordable, standards-aligned project-based curriculum that introduces 21st-century skills and STEM careers. She also partnered with the Future Farmers of America to develop an introduction to agricultural AI education and co-directed Microsoft’s “Classroom of the Future” initiative.
Today, as the founder of March 4th Labs, Karon works with entrepreneurs to develop early-stage concepts, product strategies, and investor pitches. She also mentors with the University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs and serves as a pitch coach and judge for the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship.
Karon’s guidance will help GII sharpen its educational product thinking and ground its innovations to support developing long-term impact.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karonweber/
Christy Johnson’s Bio
Christy Johnson is a strategist, educator, and entrepreneur with deep expertise in innovation, systems thinking, and organizational design. As Founder and CEO of Artemis Connection, she leads a strategy consultancy that partners with global corporations, foundations, and social ventures to tackle complex business and societal challenges. Her work focuses on aligning people, purpose, and process to deliver sustainable, inclusive outcomes.
Earlier in her career, Christy was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, where she advised Fortune 100 clients and governments on strategy and change management. She also began her professional journey as a classroom teacher, earning Junior Achievement’s National Teacher of the Year for her excellence in economics and math education.
Christy holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Master’s in Education from Stanford’s Graduate School of Education. She teaches at Stanford and the University of Washington and frequently contributes thought leadership to The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and MIT Sloan Management Review.
A recognized leader in equity-centered innovation, Christy serves on several nonprofit boards and mentors early-stage founders and education changemakers.
Christy’s experience across consulting, education, and social impact makes her a powerful thought partner for Global Impact Innovators (GII). Her expertise will help GII design scalable innovation hubs, refine operational strategy, and embed equity and evidence-based practices into every layer of its model. As GII expands across Africa, Christy’s guidance will support its mission to democratize access to technology, education, and opportunity.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyjohnsonwel/
We are excited about the possibilities ahead with Karon and Christy joining our board. Their insights and leadership will be instrumental in scaling GII’s impact and advancing our vision of a future where all youth—regardless of geography—can thrive through access to innovation, mentorship, and opportunity.
