Karleen Leveille
Entrepreneur,
Media Personality, &
Writer.
Who?
Who am I?
I’m a native New Yorker. I love serving my community, being an entrepreneur, and helping people win at accomplishing their dreams. I know what it’s like to live a journey built on accomplishing dreams. There’s no right way to do it but I’ve learned a few tricks to help you live a life you are excited about.
Whether you’re a new entrepreneur, a professional, or ready to change your personal life, I’m here to help you reach your goals.
Where?
Where Do I Do All of This?
I have always known that working with people and being creative were my calling. By the time I turned 19 and before I graduated from Cornell University, I had served on three school city councils with elected officials, worked for the New York Urban League, and started my own nonprofit.
I started my media career in broadcast television landing opportunities at ABC “20/20 & Primetime” and CBS News Productions. Those experiences gave me a strong foundation in story development and production. After transitioning into daytime television at Sony Pictures Television, I produced three court shows simultaneously barely having time for myself, my family, and the community. So, I decided to take a leap of faith to build KLeveille Entertainment, a production company with the purpose to create content that changes the life of the person watching it, changes the life of the person being featured, or changes the lives of both. It paid off - my content has been seen across the globe on airlines and nationally on networks including the Oprah Winfrey Network, Lifetime Television and the HGTV just to name a few.
What's
What's the Outcome?
I’ve made strides in my career by becoming the first woman, as well as the first of color, to direct Fandango’s 2017 coverage of Comic Con. As a marketing / advertising savant and executive I oversaw campaigns, digital films, and experiential events for Google and Spectrum. As a Television Host and Speaker, I have been featured in New York 1 News, the Essence Smart Style Series, the Today Show, and North Shore Television. As a writer, my articles have been featured in New York newspapers.
How?
How Do I Do This?
Always wanting more, I earned a full scholarship to the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. I solidified my business acumen. I also merged my love for media and technology by becoming the first and only African American Woman in the Technology Innovation Scholars Program. In the program, I launched a media educational technology product for the special needs market. It won several awards, honors, and accolades including winning The Randall Family Big Idea competition, having my company accepted into the Idea Foundry™ Idea Transformation Fellowship Program, and winning fan favorite at the National Black MBA Whiteboard challenge sponsored by FedEx! In 2019, I expanded my business in the podcast industry and revived a training program for a local non-profit station to train women to enter the media and entertainment industry.
AWARDS&HONORS
National Emmy for Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis
2020
Top Women In Digital Game Changer Winner,
Cynopsis Media
2018
Queens Start Up Business Plan Judge,
Queens Start Up, Present
FedEx Whiteboard Challenge Fan Favorite Winner,
National Black MBA Association
2012
Business Winner,
Randall Family Big Idea Competition - 2011
NABJ Angelo B. Henderson Community Service Award Recipient
2022
Crain's Business Notable Leaders and Executives
2021
Spiedie Fest
Celebrity Cooking Competition Winner
2021
National Emmy for Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis
2020
Advisor & Mentor,
Digital Undivided Tech Incubator
2017- 2020
Director of Programs & Socials,
National Black MBA Association Pittsburgh Chapter
2011
Recipient for Outstanding Business & Citizenship , Office of the President - 2007
Formula 1 Racing Team Member,
Cornell FSAE - 2006
The Mentorship Program,
Founder - 2006
Program Coordinator
NAACP
2003
When?
When Do I Connect With the Community?
When I’m not running my business, I’m volunteering with several organizations including The Mentorship Program, a nonprofit organization I founded as an undergraduate at Cornell University. The mission of the program is to empower individuals, especially women, teens, and children, through entrepreneurship and educational support initiatives. My additional civic involvement includes serving as an advisor to Digital Undivided, a technology incubator dedicated to helping Black and Latino women launch technology startups.
Now, my goal is to help others transform their lives by giving them the knowledge, resources, and advice that helped me to live a life I am incredibly proud of.