Karen Pajarillo has more than two decades of experience as a private equity investor and board member. She joined the Riverside Company in 1995 and established the firm’s San Francisco office in 1998.

The Riverside Company is a global private equity firm focused on making control and non-control investments in growing businesses.  As a Partner with the Riverside Capital Appreciation Fund, Karen leads North American investments in healthcare services and consumer products and is a member of the fund's investment committee.  She has also led acquisitions in business services, education and training, software and IT, and specialty manufacturing and distribution.

Besides serving in the coLABS Advisory Board, she is currently a board member of Health & Safety Institute and Momentum Group.

Prior to joining Riverside, she was with AgriCapital Corporation, an investment bank serving agriculture-related industries. She was also with Burns McClellan, a public and investor relations firm representing companies in the life sciences industry.

Karen holds a BA in communication and a BS in biology from Stanford University.