KAREN JASHINSKY

KAREN JASHINSKY
Founder/CEO

Karen is a Certified Fitness Trainer and the recent recipient of the First “Emerging Female Leader” Award by IHRSA, the fitness industry’s professional organization. In 2007 she was also named “One of the 25 most influential young leaders in the fitness industry” by IHRSA. In December of 2008 O2 MAX was awarded by the City of Los Angeles and SCORE-a division of the Small Business Association as an outstanding business making a positive impact in the community and is also the first USC recipient of an SBA loan from the USC Credit Union. Development of O2 MAX began while Karen was at USC earning her MBA and has continued to be shaped by teen and college interns in exchange for workouts, membership and learning valuable business skills such as marketing, advertising, event planning and networking.

Development of O2 MAX was chronicled in a series of articles in ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE Karen was a “Featured Trainer” in February 2007 by IDEA, the fitness trainer industry trade publication. Interest in developing her own business was a natural outgrowth of growing up in a family-owned restaurant business. After college Karen spent 3 years at Vivendi Universal in media planning, marketing and operations management before becoming a personal fitness trainer and nutrition consultant for teens in the Los Angeles area. She has consulted on youth projects for Governor Schwarzenegger’s Fitness Council, written numerous articles on teen health for LA Family and writes a fitness column for the Santa Monica Daily Press.

Karen initiated the Southern California Entrepreneur Roundtable at USC while serving as VP Business Development for the Entrepreneur and Venture Management Association. Karen now serves on the Board of Advisors for the Entrepreneur Mentor Society, helping other young entrepreneurs achieve their goals and is a frequent speaker at USC and at local high schools. Karen also serves as the chair for the Los Angeles Alumni and Parent Association for Washington University and is President of the Trojan CEO Forum.

She earned an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business with an emphasis in entrepreneurship and has a BSBA from the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University with an emphasis in marketing and international business. Karen drinks Macro Greens every morning and stays in shape by going on long bike rides & runs and a combination of weight training, yoga & Pilates.

• Morning drink: Chlorophyll lemon juice and greens
• Favorite healthy food: Seared ahi salad
• Post-workout snack: Greens and lunch
• Favorite guilty pleasure: Chocolate cake a la mode
• Free time: Working out, reading, marketing, business and fitness magazines, meeting people, roadtrips