Scholar Profile

Karla Owunwanne

Public Policy

Biography

Karla Martínez Owunwanne is a senior government relations and market strategy leader with over a decade of experience advancing public-private partnerships, sustainable infrastructure, and community-centered policy across complex regulatory environments.

Most recently, Karla served as Senior Director of Government Relations for the U.S. West and Latin America at Lime, where she led government partnerships and regulatory strategy across major U.S. markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Salt Lake City, and oversaw expansion across Latin America, including Mexico and Chile. Her work supported the growth of dockless micromobility programs and strengthened long-term partnerships between cities and private operators in service of climate and mobility goals.

Prior to Lime, Karla was Director of Advocacy at Catalytik, advising organizations on advocacy strategy, coalition building, and social innovation. Earlier in her career, she worked in nonprofit development at the Harvard College Fund, supporting major gifts and institutional advancement.

Karla holds a bachelor’s degree in Government from Harvard University, with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. A native Angeleno and first-generation daughter of Mexican and Salvadoran immigrants, she brings a deeply grounded perspective on access, opportunity, and community to her leadership and is passionate about building more connected, resilient cities.

High school:  Theodore Roosevelt High School

Degrees