Karin Elena Wolf

Karin Elena Wolf was born in New York City to a Puerto Rican mother and a Norwegian-American father. The eldest of two children, her and her younger brother were raised in the suburbs of NYC. Her mother migrated from Puerto Rico to NYC in 1960 and attended a performing arts school for Hispanics, performing in stage productions throughout NYC and a Spanish-language novela for Telemundo. Her father was an officer in the U.S. military, an MBA graduate, and business executive. Her paternal grandfather was a member of the King's Guard of Norway. Her father's family includes the prominent Wedel-Jarlsberg family of Norway and world-renowned explorer and archaeologist Thor Heyerdahl. A bookish child, Karin excelled in academics and athletics. In middle school, she was placed in ROGATE, a program for gifted and talented students. Outside her studies, she demonstrated strength in soccer and other sports, often playing varsity. In 1991, she began dancing on Club MTV after a friend invited her along on an audition for the show at NYC's Palladium. When Club MTV ended she went on to dancing on Hangin' with MTV, and its spin-off show The Grind. At the same time, she attended Hunter College, and graduated with a B.A. in English. She pursued acting for a few years in L.A., but preferred coming back home to the erudite sensibilities and soul of her beloved NYC. In 2002, she gave birth to her son Daniel; and in 2003, her daughter Gretchen. In 2006, she fled domestic violence with her two small children in tow. She has since become a powerful advocate for survivors of interpersonal violence and sex-based discrimination; and a force to be reckoned with in the fight for human rights, taking on political and judicial corruption. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Women's Civil Liberties Union (WCLU), lobbying in Congress, writing new legislation, and helping women navigate the legal complexities of the court system.