Kara Pyles

Kara Pyles is the Director of Prevention and Response Initiatives for the Global Network & Regional Engagement team at Vital Voices. She primarily focuses on managing the Voices Against Violence Urgent Assistance Fund, which supports survivors of gender-based violence.

Prior to joining Vital Voices, Kara’s advocacy work with survivors of gender-based violence began while completing her undergraduate degree in International Studies and Russian at Virginia Tech where she served as President of the Help Save the Next Girl chapter, working to provide education and prevention efforts around sexual assault and femicide on college campuses. After graduating, she worked for a grassroots non-profit agency that provided advocacy, support services and emergency shelter to survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and stalking. She worked directly with survivors of gender-based violence, providing crisis hotline coverage, peer-based counseling, court advocacy, hospital accompaniment and other crisis intervention services. She also participated in and helped to develop coordinated community response teams and educational outreach efforts, working with local law enforcement, Commonwealth Attorney’s offices, social services and other allied professionals. As Assistant Executive Director of the organization, she developed and managed various direct-service and advocacy programs as well as operational aspects of the organization. She has also completed her Master’s Degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution with a concentration in the dynamics of violence at George Mason University.