Kara Higdon brings over 15 years of experience in partnerships, external affairs, and stakeholder relations to her role as Director of Business and Community Partnerships at the Ottawa Board of Trade.
Most recently, she served as Director of Bayview Yards Growth and Success at Invest Ottawa, where she led partnership and sponsorship revenue generation. She also oversaw the city-building and stakeholder experience strategy for Bayview Yards, Ottawa’s innovation centre.
A past recipient of the Ottawa Board of Trade and Ottawa Business Journal Forty Under 40 Award, Kara has held positions in outreach, grants management, and external relations in the United States and Southeast Asia. She began her career in public finance investment banking at J.P. Morgan and in local government with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey before relocating to Ottawa in 2016.
At the Ottawa Board of Trade, Kara leads the organization’s membership growth and engagement strategy. She also builds and nurtures business, community, and ecosystem partnerships with a focus on strengthening economic relations throughout the National Capital Region.