Karen Stewart is an accomplished financial entrepreneur and author, having founded or co-founded eight businesses over her 30-year career. After experiencing a difficult and distressful divorce, Karen resolved to find a better way. Combining her financial acumen and entrepreneurial expertise, she created Fairway Divorce Solutions. Fairway is a national dispute resolution company delivering a better alternative to traditional divorce and conflict resolution. Karen developed Fairway’s unique Independently Negotiated Resolution™ (INR) method; a step-by-step process that dramatically reduces time, costs, and stress, and protects the children during the process.
In 2008, Karen released her first best-selling book, Clean Break: How to Divorce with Dignity and Move on with Your Life. In addition to her first book, Karen has continued to write articles and books on the subject of divorce including Divorce for Women: A Guide to Creating a Better Life After Divorce and Divorce for Men: A Guide to Creating a Better Life After Divorce. She’s a recipient of PROFIT Magazine’s Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs, Calgary’s Woman of Vision Award, and Universal Women’s Network, Women of Inspiration; Advocate and Catalyst for Change award. Karen is a sought-after speaker, known for her inspiring presentations shared at events and institutions including University of Saskatchewan’s Edwards School of Business, Vancouver’s Wellness Show, HRPA Seminars, E-Women Network Luncheons, Breathe Now Conference, and the Canadian Institute of Financial Planners. Karen continues to give back to the community by sitting on a number of academic and corporate boards and advisory councils.
Professional Experiences
Since Fairway’s inception in 2006 through to present day, Karen has continued her role as CEO and expanded the business through a national franchise system. She is also the CEO of Bumble Bees Venture Capital Inc., a private equity investment business, investing in Technology innovations. She also acted as a Director and interim CEO of Trusted Brand 2016 Inc, a Capital Pool (CPC) company closed an Initial Public Offering through the TSX Venture.
Prior to Fairway, Karen was the Founder, President, and CEO of Milestone Asset Management for 15 years in Calgary, AB; a full-service stock brokerage wealth management firm, with full capital requirements on the IDA platform, managing in excess of 125 million.
From 2003 to 2007, Karen created, directed, and actively promoted related organizations such as Exclusive Capital Corporation, Miles Financial Insurance Services, and Miles Financial Group.
In 1996, Karen founded Balanced Planning Alberta, a financial dealership built it to over 100 representatives by 2000. This dealership was subsequently sold to Cartier Partners who were later bought out by Dundee Securities.
From 1988 to 1993, Karen started her career as a Management Consultant for Arthur Anderson in Calgary, a prestigious management consulting company, where she learned and mastered the fundamentals of business and the value of processes and methodologies.
