Karina Lipsman Engr '12

Karina Lipsman's expertise in international diplomacy, geopolitical strategy, conflict resolution, cyber and space domains, defense operations, and implementation of U.S. global defense systems spans almost two decades.

She is currently the head of government relations at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Most recently, Karina served as the 2022 United States Congressional nominee for Virginia's 8th District. In this capacity, she was the only Ukrainian-born refugee immigrant nominated to run for Congress in the country, broke multiple milestones by winning a historic percentage in a five-way highly contested primary and outperforming 30 years of fundraising records.

Prior to running for Congress, Karina was responsible for Peraton's corporate strategy development where she spearheaded the creation of the first peer-to-peer engagement plan which resulted in partnerships with the Department of Defense and non-traditional defense companies. She also developed and led a series of strategy sessions to cross pollinate heritage capabilities across multiple sectors to support growth strategy during a 12-month period of rapid acquisitions totaling just over $11B.

Before that, Karina served as a senior strategist for Northrop Grumman Corporation where she was instrumental in leading international and domestic portfolios, championed innovations to drive organizational adaptation in the digital economy, built cross functional teams focused on next generation Space initiatives, and incepted enterprise-wide initiatives resulting in cost avoidance, operational efficiency, and business growth. Karina's career also encompasses highnet-worth financial portfolio management concentrating on maximizing stability and achieving above average returns.

Karina holds a Master's in Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University and Bachelor's in Economics from Towson University. She serves on the Johns Hopkins Alumni Council, is a Visiting Fellow at the Independent Women's Forum, and is frequently sought after for her commentary on current events in the media.