About Tugboat 23
After a varied career in nonprofits ranging from finding homes for exchange students to recruiting volunteers to play with homeless children, I found myself planning events more and more frequently - not just for my employers, but also for the nonprofit boards I served on.
In 2011, I formed Tugboat 23 Consulting to help guide grassroots nonprofits to fundraising success. I love the excitement of creating events that stay on-mission and on-budget while delivering loyalty and funds to my clients. I am proud to work with clients on a wide variety of events, ranging from large-scale outdoor festivals in Boston’s public parks to 400+ person gala events to brunch events in a historic church. I relish the opportunity to help clients keep costs down in creative but respectful ways.
For me, there is nothing like Event Day – the energy and excitement put me in an unflappable mindset, where every aspect of the event is managed in a practical, calm, and creative manner. (Outdoor events in particular bring a certain level of unpredictability, and I have plenty of experience handling a laundry list of unusual situations: runaway horses, mysterious unattended packages with protruding wires, a floating event venue that kept moving, and dangerous smoke from far-off chemical fires!
What is Karin like?
Community service is very important to me. I use my time and talents to enrich local grassroots organizations. I was previously a member of the MassBike Board (2003-2007) and the Mass Farmers Markets Board (2007-2011) and created a number of creative events while working with them. I am currently a member of the Arlington Library Foundation Board and am on the leadership team of the Arlington chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. I am also the former Community Service manager for Cub Scout Pack 306 and bake sale director for Peirce Elementary School. I have been a volunteer (canvassing, phonebanking, and/or postcarding) for most elections since 2008, and I especially love when there are free cookies involved. My favorite volunteer gig is Trolley Host for the Somerville Illuminations Tour, where I have been sharing joy and leading songs for over 12 years.
I am always delighted to talk about my work, my family, or my many eclectic interests, including bicycles, the Red Sox, year-round lake swimming, local kayaking, cross-country skiing, or mutated poison ivy.
I am much shorter than you would expect.