Karen Anne Spencer, Countess Spencer (formerly Gordon, ''née'' Villeneuve; born June 6, 1972) is a Canadian

social entrepreneur Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to a wide range of o ...

. She is the founder and CEO of

Whole Child International Whole Child International is a U.S.-based non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in 2004. Whole Child focuses on improving the quality of care for vulnerable children worldwide by working within childcare institutions (orphanages) and in limite ...

, a U.S.-based

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

(NGO) that works to improve the quality of care for vulnerable children.

Life and career

Countess Spencer was born Karen Anne Villeneuve on November 30, 1972 in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, Canada, the eldest of three children. Her father’s career as a National Parks administrator required her family to move to as many as 23 homes and 10 schools during her childhood; Spencer has credited this experience as the foundation for her interest in helping children without a stable home. Spencer was motivated to launch the nonprofit organization

, which targets the emotional needs of society’s most at-risk children, after attending a 2004 parenting class that introduced the child-rearing approach of

Emmi Pikler Emmi Pikler (born 9 January 1902 in Vienna; died 6 June 1984 in Budapest, birth name Emilie Madleine Reich) was a Hungarian pediatrician who introduced new theories of infant education, and put them into practice at an orphanage she ran. Life ...

. Whole Child is currently implementing programs with funding from

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...

, the

Inter-American Development Bank The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB or IADB) is an international financial institution headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States of America, and serving as the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribb ...

, the Korean Poverty Reduction Fund, and other donors such as

David G. Booth David Gilbert Booth (born 1946) is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is the executive chairman of Dimensional Fund Advisors, which he co-founded with Rex Sinquefield. Career Booth graduated from Lawrence High School in ...

, the

Annenberg Foundation The Annenberg Foundation is a family foundation that provides funding and support to non-profit organizations in the United States and around the world. Some of the Foundation's core initiatives are the Annenberg/Corporation for Public Broadcast ...

, and the Pamella and Daniel DeVos Foundation. In February 2010, the 14th

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...

gave his support to Whole Child at the launch of its global initiative to raise awareness of the plight of institutionalized children. Karen Spencer is co-author of articles published in the peer-reviewed ''Infant Journal of Mental Health'' and ''Perspectives in Infant Mental Health,'' contributing important insights and realistic solutions to the public debate. In September 2015, she was elected an Ashoka Fellow for her work as a social entrepreneur by the Ashoka Foundation, which honoured her for identifying and filling a gap in care for orphans and vulnerable children. In 2016 she was made a Fellow at the

University of Northampton , mottoeng = Let us not be ignorant , established = 2005 (gained University status) 1975 (Nene College established) , type = Public , endowment = £0.95 m (2015) , chancellor = Richard Coles , vice_chancellor = ...

in the United Kingdom. In 2017, she received the Pikler/Lóczy USA Founders Award, and ''People'' Magazine named her one of "25 Women Changing the World." She reportedly divides her time between her home in

Pacific Palisades, California Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood in the Westside Los Angeles, Westside region of Los Angeles, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. Pacific Palisades was formally founded in 1921 by a Chautauqua, Methodist organization, an ...

, and her husband's family seat at

Althorp Althorp (popularly pronounced ) is a Grade I listed stately home and estate in the civil parish of Althorp, in West Northamptonshire, England of about . By road it is about northwest of the county town of Northampton and about northwest of c ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

, United Kingdom.

Marriages and children

The Countess married

Mark Gordon Mark Gordon (born March 14, 1957) is an American politician who has served as the 33rd governor of Wyoming since January 7, 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as state treasurer; then-governor Matt Mead appointed him t ...

, a Hollywood producer whose films include ''

Saving Private Ryan ''Saving Private Ryan'' is a 1998 American epic war film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. Set during the Battle of Normandy in World War II, the film is known for its graphic portrayal of war, especially its depictio ...

'' and '' The Patriot'', on November 8, 1997. The couple divorced in 2003. Together they have two daughters, Emma (b. 1998) and Kate (b. 2001). On June 25, 2011, Spencer married

Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, (born 20 May 1964), styled Viscount Althorp between 1975 and 1992, is a British peer, author, journalist, and broadcaster. He is the younger brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, and is the mat ...

. The Earl Spencer was the brother of

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

, and an author and broadcaster. As a result of her marriage, Karen Spencer is formally styled The Right Honourable The Countess Spencer, and is addressed as Lady Spencer. The Earl and Countess Spencer have one child together: Lady Charlotte Diana Spencer, born 30 July 2012 at Althorp.

References

External links

*
Staff
- website of Whole Child International {{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Karen Spencer, Countess 1972 births Living people British countesses Canadian philanthropists People from Edmonton Canadian female models Canadian expatriates in the United States Canadian humanitarians Women humanitarians Canadian socialites

Karen Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand ** Karen languages or Karenic l ...

Canadian women philanthropists Ashoka Canada Fellows