Jenkins new chair-elect of Columbia Chamber of Commerce

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Karen R. Jenkins, president and CEO of KRJ Consulting LLC, is the new chair-elect of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce and the first Black woman to serve in that role.

She will serve alongside the chamber’s newly elected chair John Griggs of Synovus Bank, working closely with the chamber’s staff, committee chairs and board members, according to a news release.

Jenkins has been a member of the Columbia Chamber board of directors, serving on the executive committee since 2019.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are an integral part of an organization, and I am proud to represent women of color and stand in this leadership role,” Jenkins said. “I am honored to serve with the leadership of the Columbia Chamber and those within our community who give of their time and talents to foster a vibrant business environment.”

Her business, KRJ Consulting, is an organizational growth and human capital consulting firm that specializes in transforming leaders, integrating cultures and building organizational capacity.

Jenkins is a past recipient of the Icon Award from the Columbia Regional Business Report, as well as the Small Business of the Year award from USC Columbia Technology Incubator in 2020. Her business made the 2020 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing small businesses. She was named the 2019 S.C. Female Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration S.C. District Office.

She is active in many organizations including the S.C. Chamber of Commerce, Vistage and the Women President’s Organization. Jenkins is also a graduate of the Small Business Administration’s Emerging Leaders Program and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program.