Biography
Founder + executive producer TEDxIntuit. Current: 18F. Past: TurboTax, Oscars, Super Bowl. 2nd grade report card: Kara likes to talk. A lot.
Kara DeFrias has a passion for creating engaging experiences, both online and off. She most recently served as TurboTax UX (user experience) strategist and Intuit Innovation Catalyst, influencing the voice of TurboTax.com and empowering Intuit’s employees to utilize design thinking in their project work. Kara also provided pro bono social media services to TEDxSanDiego and Team Rubicon. Prior to that, Kara’s career spanned nearly a decade working in corporate learning and development. She also worked in entertainment and pro sports, most notably on the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Women’s World Cup ‘99, and an Emmy–award–winning production of the Oscars. Raised in Burlington, NJ, Kara earned a BA in English (minor in Theatre) from Elizabethtown College and graduated summa cum laude from Penn State University with a Master’s degree in instructional design. Kara lives at the beach in San Diego, CA, with her curmudgeonly English labrador retriever.
