Founder & Facilitator
About Karen Jones
Built to Shine ™ Insight in Every Room She Enters
Karen Jones brings more than three decades of leadership, crisis response, and community care into every space she touches. Her work centers on one purpose: helping people heal, rediscover strength, and moving forward with clarity and dignity.
Journey
My Story
Karen’s journey spans military leadership, crisis intervention, community advocacy, and trauma-informed facilitation. Throughout her career, she supported individuals navigating crisis, transition, and emotional overload — often in spaces where people felt unheard, unseen, or unsupported.
In October 2025, Karen facilitated the Women Veterans Only Listening Forum, bringing together more than seventy-five women veterans, clinicians, and community leaders. Many participants shared stories they had carried silently for thirty or forty years — stories of pain, sexual assault, betrayal, loss, resilience, and survival.
Karen shaped the space into a boundary-safe environment where honesty unfolded without judgment. She held emotional steadiness as courage moved from voice to voice, dignity returned through shared strength, and participants found relief in finally being fully heard and seen without guilt or shame.
Impact
Community Work and Partnerships
Through ongoing partnerships with CEC Healthcare and the Economic Opportunity Commission of Glen Cove, Karen extends emotional and mental wellness education across Long Island. Her work connects women veterans, youth, adults, and seniors with practical tools that reduce isolation, strengthen emotional regulation, and restore hope.
Schools
Organizations
Healthcare Systems
Community Spaces
Philosophy
My Philosophy — Built to Shine™
Karen’s work rests on one truth: people carry far more strength than they often recognize. With the right tools, individuals learn to respond instead of reacting, choose healing over hurting, and focus on what we can rebuild better together.
- Healing begins when we listen, respond, and rebuild together.
- Responding instead of reacting reshapes every outcome for the better.
- Choose Healing Over Hurting.
Approach
How I Work
Karen’s approach centers on four commitments that encourage emotional regulation, strengthen communication, and build tools participants carry into daily life.
Purpose
Each engagement aligns clearly with mission and intention.
People
Every space protects dignity, emotional safety, and respect.
Process
Structured flow, predictable pacing, and trauma-informed practices guide each experience.
Preparation
Thoughtful planning supports momentum, reflection, and meaningful outcomes.
Origin
Why Turning SCARS into STARS™
Turning SCARS into STARS™ grew from Karen’s lived journey — shaped by scars, stories born out of sacrifice, and countless moments witnessing others struggle in silence. When the silence broke, the light began to shine.
The work moves people forward from moments of deep hurt, emotional and mental paralysis. With the right support, wounds convert into wisdom, reaction transforms into response, and survival evolves into strength and betterment.
Built to Shine™ reflects Karen’s promise: she creates safe spaces that protect truth, honor the past, strengthen the present, and guide the way forward towards a better outcome.