Karen Lee Mah has three grown children and was always involved in their education, from being involved in school board meetings to co-chairing the district’s nutrition program to working in their classrooms. She started to professionally consult in 2005 where she collaborated with a neuropsychologist who assessed children with learning disabilities and then became a global school placement consultant where she eventually became a field supervisor and director. She met Beth at this global school placement firm and even though they worked virtually, they became fast friends and close colleagues. Karen considered Beth her mentor and they both enjoyed managing the worldwide consultants, assisting international expat families, and learning about education around the world. The breadth and depth of the field of education to Karen has become both personal and professional during the last two decades and she looks forward to continuing to help families across the globe for years to come.

 

Beth Avitabile from an early age was drawn to the field of education as she believed knowledge is an empowering tool. She envisioned herself being a lifelong student as she feels nothing is more important than education. Beth loves learning about other cultures and education in other countries, which she experienced when working for 8 years as the Director of Admissions for a study abroad program. She continued her career in education when she started working for an educational consulting firm in 2005 where she managed the global team of consultants. That is where she met Karen and for 10 years they enjoyed collaborating closely together. Beth learned so much from Karen over the years, even though they worked virtually. That is part of why Beth loves education - because it can bring people together no matter where they are in the world.

 

They always joked about starting their own educational consulting firm and timing happened to align along with a query from an international global company that asked if they could assist a family moving from London to L.A. It was a sign for them to “hang out their own shingle”! They worked so well together, enjoyed each other’s company, and they both lived where their families/market were located (New York and L.A.). So, while Karen oversees the west coast of the U.S. and Asia, Beth oversees the east coast of the U.S. and Europe. Together, they love helping people with the most precious gift they have - their children! And what is more important than their education? This journey has been able to allow them to be lifelong learners and help corporate expats and private client families around the world.