When the healthcare system fails to give you clear guidance, you can either accept the status quo or shake up the entire system.
Karen Peterson chose the latter.
You know that one cousin or best friend who isn’t afraid to look a doctor dead in the eye and say, “Wait, back up, explain that to me in plain English”? That is the exact energy Karen brings to the medical world. When a Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis forced her to navigate a confusing, gatekept healthcare system without a clear roadmap, she didn’t fold – she became her own medical detective and won.
But surviving was just the baseline.
Karen quickly realized that what our community really needs is systemic change. And today, she is a globally acknowledged patient advocate and an award-winning, sought-after health equity leader.
Her incredible journey has taken her from fighting for her own life to partnering with heavyweights like NYC’s Tisch Cancer Institute, advising major organizations on healthcare equality, landing countless features on vital platforms like BlackDoctor.org and The Today Show.
Still, her most powerful work happens right at home.
Through her own platform, Karen’s Club, the Bronx, NY native is making sure patients never have to face complex medical decisions alone again. When it comes to health for us, Karen isn’t waiting on the system to change – she’s changing the game herself.
Intrigued by how one woman managed to flip the script on Big Pharma and clinical research? We were, too! So, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, The Hub sat down with Karen to get the blueprint.
Pulling up a chair at her virtual table, we talked about her incredible survival story, the inspiration behind Karen’s Club and how Black patients can advocate for themselves in a system that often overlooks them.
Here is a look inside our conversation.
Karen’s Club has such a powerful presence. When did you start the business and what was the spark that ignited it?
I founded Karen’s Club five years ago. The organization’s origin story is simple. As a Stage IV Triple Negative Breast Cancer Survivor, I actively rewrote my own medical narrative and now help others do the same.
[But] this is the real tea: a program officer at the Robin Hood Foundation (one of NYC’s largest nonprofits) challenged me to take my good fortune and pay it forward to my community. With Robin Hood’s backing and funding, I was accepted into their social venture and innovation studio, Blue Ridge Labs, and became part of the 2021 Fellowship cohort, spawning what is now the grassroots patient advocacy organization, Karen’s Club.
“Feeding the community” can mean a lot of things. How does your business physically and emotionally feed our people?
Karen’s Club is very intentional. Our goal is to help Black and Brown patients in underserved communities who have been diagnosed with an advanced stage or rare disease make informed medical decisions, especially when thinking about engaging with clinical research. I’ve had patients facetime me from the doctors’ offices after they’ve paused the conversation to get me to interpret exactly what the doctor is saying!
My superpower is breaking down complex medical hypotheses into their simplest forms, most times just using relatable metaphors. It is important for patients and caregivers to feel supported, educated and empowered in a pressurized environment.
Patients and their families are juggling financial toxicity, insurance prerequisites, treatment options, access to biomarker testing and mental health challenges all while trying to manage their normal lives. Karen’s Club is like a warm comforting meal, serving up clarity, hope and trust.
Being an entrepreneur is never a smooth ride. What has been your absolute biggest challenge in running the business?
Ha! Lord, where do I start?! I’ve been my [own] biggest challenge. Yep, me. Not investing in the growth and business side. I’m a patient first so my focus was always the community at large, but that [didn’t] keep the lights on.
In addition, because the business model is virtual, I supplemented and bootstrapped the business with my keynote speaker income, treating Karen’s Club like a side passion project. But that lack of growth and discipline kept the business small and when I say small, I mean lack of educational programming and partnerships which are essential for growth and community engagement. I should have been taking grant writing classes, attending alumni administrative and organizational seminars and actively seeking a business mentor. Yeah, it became isolating.
Looking back at how far you’ve come, what has been your proudest moment as a founder?
My proudest moment was when I won the RTW Foundation Grant to provide free one-to-one patient navigation in NYC! It’s a super competitive funding opportunity and the fact that I was able to win the grant was humbling. The partnership has allowed me to collaborate with other organizations and increase my grassroots outreach (at community health fairs) and provide educational and peer enrichment events (like my Breast Cancer Awareness celebration) for the community. Winning the grant is recognition that my hard work, discipline and passion add value to the community I serve.
You’ve already built something incredible. Where do you see Karen’s Club in the next five years?
In five years, Karen’s Club will be the pioneer and gold standard for the Patient Led Navigation role in Early Phase Clinical Research. Our partnership with the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai in New York City allowed us to provide free one-on-one consultations with community members who have trial experience to patients before they meet with clinical research teams. Our study, published in the May 2026 Journal of Clinical Oncology ASCO Publication, showed that patients became more knowledgeable, understood better, and felt more motivated to engage with clinical research teams, so we are also dedicated to helping the Tisch Cancer Institute develop their Peer Navigation Initiative and integrate it into their Clinical Research model. At the same time, we will expand our Peer-Led/Patient-Led Navigation Model and implement it as an essential solution in clinics across the country.
Want to connect, get involved or support the movement? Here is how to find Karen’s Club:
- Visit the Website: Dive into free resources and schedule a 1-on-1 consultation at karensclub.org.
- Follow on Socials: Stay updated with community events and health literacy tips on Instagram @joinkarensclub.
- Get in Touch: Reach out directly for partnerships, speaking engagements or navigation support via email at info@karensclub.org.
