Founder's Story

Karen Bruton is the CEO of Just Hope International. She traveled internationally for several years and saw firsthand the extreme poverty and the absence of even the most basic human needs (food, shelter, water) being met throughout the world. After 25 years as a Vice President and Corporate Controller of two corporations, she decided to respond by leaving the corporate world and devoting the rest of her life to making a difference in these places that have been neglected and forgotten. With her background as a corporate executive, and a CPA with an MBA, Karen finds Just Hope International’s approach to these problems unique. While her heart and passion certainly drive her to continue this work, it is her business skills that serve her well in working with people to help give them a new tomorrow. Once the basic human needs such as food and water are addressed, it is the search to find a way to break the vicious cycle of poverty that takes Just Hope beyond offering a "handout" to truly making a difference by providing a "hand-up".