Karen Robinson Cope Named Outstanding Atlanta Entrepreneur by Mercer University Stetson School of Business

NanoLumens co-founder and Senior Vice President of Business Development cited for her mentorship of young professional women and entrepreneurial spirit.

Ms. Karen Robinson Cope, co-Founder and Senior Vice President of Business Development at NanoLumens (www.nanolumens.com) has been presented the Atlanta Outstanding Entrepreneur Award by the Mercer University Stetson School of Business, who lauded her for her mentorship of young professional women and entrepreneurial spirit.  The presentation was made last month at the Stetson School of Business’ 2015 Entrepreneurial Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. 

“Karen Robinson Cope is a serial entrepreneur who has been CEO of four high-growth ventures over the last two decades,” noted Dr. Susan P. Gilbert, Dean of the Stetson School of Business. “She has raised over $100 million for her companies, more than any other woman in Georgia. She was named Women in Technology's (WIT) first Woman of the Year in Technology in 2000.”

Karen Robinson Cope was Chairwoman, President and CEO of Enrev Corporation, a technology firm, which was acquired in 2001. Next, she led Prime Point Media, one of the largest out-of-home advertising companies in the U.S., as President and CEO, which she sold to a public company in 2006. That same year, she and her husband, Richard "Rick" Cope, founded NanoLumens with one goal – to create displays that would change the industry forever. As senior vice president for business development, she spearheads the strategic growth of the company, which has been featured by The Wall Street Journal, Forbes magazine among other major publications.

“I am honored to accept this award on behalf of every woman who has ever had the courage and tenacity to follow their dreams in today’s business environment,” Karen Cope said today.  “I would like my life, and my achievements, to serve as a reminder to young women that they can achieve their highest goals and aspirations if they are willing to meet head-on the challenges that professional women still face in today’s America.” 

Ms. Cope is a leader in developing future entrepreneurs. In 2010, she founded the nonprofit Atlanta Council of Board Advisors (COBA) to offer strategic advisory services to small firms. She is the first female president of the Atlanta chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a nonprofit organization that fosters entrepreneurship globally, and she serves on the board of StartupChicks, another nonprofit aimed at creating a global community of female founders. In addition to Mercer, she has spoken at MIT, Georgia Tech, Harvard and Emory. 

Mark Carlson Appointed General Counsel and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at NanoLumens

Underscoring the importance of having General Counsel that is broadly experienced in working with rapidly evolving globally focused knowledge based companies, NanoLumens (www.nanolumens.com), the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of visualization solutions, today announced the appointment of Mark Carlson as General Counsel and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, reporting directly to NanoLumens CEO Rick Cope. 

“The role of General Counsel has changed dramatically over the last ten years and, increasingly, a company’s General Counsel is being called upon to play a more important role in shaping how businesses operate, managing different kinds of risk, and guiding corporate conduct overall,” Cope said today.  “Mark has both the legal and general business background we need at this critical juncture in our growth trajectory.  He brings both the legal and strategic business acumen to our senior management team that will help us to achieve our long-term growth objectives.” 

Before joining NanoLumens, Mark Carlson served as the Corporate/M&A Group Chair at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz. He has also served as Director of Business Development at Fantasma Networks, a Silicon Valley wireless start up; an Attorney at Shearman & Sterling; and as a Consultant at the Boston Consulting Group.   

Mark Carlson holds a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School (1995) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Dartmouth College (1992).