Karen Koblan
Karen Koblan is the founder and Chief Culinary Officer of La Braise African Grill, where she combines her passion for cooking with entrepreneurial vision. Growing up cooking alongside her grandmother, Karen developed a love for creating meals that bring people together. After moving to the United States and completing her degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University at Buffalo, she turned her lifelong passion into a thriving business, earning recognition for her restaurant’s exceptional quality and customer service.
Before founding La Braise African Grill, Karen built a strong career in supply chain and operations management. She progressed from a pharmacy technician to Global Supply Chain Director at Obeng Pharmacy, where she oversaw international expansion, directed end-to-end supply chains, and implemented policies ensuring compliance and operational efficiency. Her earlier experience at Areas USA Inc. further honed her project management and business strategy skills, laying the foundation for her success as an entrepreneur.
Karen is dedicated not only to her business but also to fostering a positive and supportive work environment. Her leadership approach emphasizes team development, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction, while also reflecting her personal commitment to her community and family. Fluent in both English and French, she continues to inspire others through her dedication, resilience, and passion for culinary innovation.
• University at Buffalo - BSPS
What do you attribute your success to?
She attributes her success to the passion and love she has for cooking. She started out cooking with her grandmother at the age of eight, and instead of playing with dolls, she played with pots and pans. Her love for cooking grew over the years, and after moving to the United States and completing her degree, she opened her own restaurant. The restaurant has been successfully operating for almost four years and has received accolades such as Yelp’s “Most Rated Restaurant” and Google’s “Best Rated Business.”
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice she’s ever received is that you can build a career doing what you love. For her, that passion is feeding people whether through her restaurant, traveling, or giving back to her community by supporting homeless populations and orphanages in her home country. This guidance has inspired her to align her work with her purpose, combining her love for food with meaningful impact.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Her advice to young women entering the industry is simple but powerful: you can do it. Having journeyed all the way from Africa to the United States and now owning her own restaurant, she believes that determination, resilience, and belief in oneself are key to overcoming challenges and achieving success. She encourages young women to pursue their dreams with confidence and persistence, no matter the obstacles.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges she faces is gaining the visibility and exposure her business needs to grow in a competitive market. At the same time, she prioritizes being present for her children, balancing the demands of entrepreneurship with her role as a dedicated mother. This dual focus presents both challenges and opportunities to grow her business while modeling commitment, resilience, and work-life harmony for her family.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to her in both work and personal life are dedication, passion, and family. She is deeply committed to serving her customers with care and excellence, driven by her love for the work she does. At the same time, as a mother of two daughters, she cherishes quality time with her family and strives to balance her professional and personal responsibilities with intention and presence.