PREPONE CONSULTING SPECIALIZES in bringing forward results before strategy, organization, and internal processes actually get the job done. The word ‘prepone’ is an Indian word in what is sometimes called Hinglish that is loosely translated as bringing forward to an earlier date or time. Managing partner Karen Louise Booth worked as a journalist for more than 15 years before making a transition to government and political communications and civic-engagement work on both regional and international levels. That work prepared her for her work today where she works as a consultant to projects on public policy, media relations, communications, and civic-engagement processes both locally in Minnesota and 50 countries around the world. Needless to say, she has to quickly adapt to shifting socio-political environments to get her work done.

Prepone does work in direct project development, implementation and management, consulting services, and training workshops within three main areas: communications and media relations, civic engagement and advocacy, organizational development, and work/life balance. This kind of work is unique and tremendously rewarding.

One recent civic engagement project took Prepone to Kyrgyzstan in 2004 to help open 18 information centers around the country. The work literally changed the world for the people. The centers provided an avenue for news and information as well as a venue for them to gather and become civically involved. Karen’s work as a civic trainer involved training leaders of a coalition of non-government organizations on public information campaigns, constituent communications, and Get Out The Vote messaging. She also conducted training for communications staff for members of Parliament on media relations and constituent communications and outreach.

Booth admits to being driven by what people say to her in the field. One Kyrgyz woman said to her, “You make me feel I am human.” Booth explained, “This was an individual feeling for the very first time that she had a right to claim basic human rights-legally, socially, civically.” Clearly, Prepone delivers the kind of results that change lives. Booth also related her experience in Sierra Leone last year, “…many people thanked me and my team members for being there to observe the political and election process. It was the first real free election since that country’s brutal decade-long war. They felt safer with our presence.”

Although Prepone has been called to work all over the globe, there is a desire to stay connected to Minnesota. What motivates Booth is meaningful work and at the core of her idea of meaningful work is a desire to connect authentically to communities, to help them become engaged or re-engaged in their civic life, whether in a newly-liberated developing democracy or perhaps just across the city.

What’s in the future for Prepone? “The world seems to continue knocking at my doorstep…and I love it,” says Booth. In terms of direction, she explained, “I once asked a mentor, ‘Where is the most important work being done right now in the world?’ and he said, ‘Wherever you find yourself at the moment.’ I want to dig deep into my Minnesota roots and do more work locally,” but admitted, “It’s a one-day-at-a-time approach.”

Prepone is a gifted and highly- skilled team including Bharati Acharya, partner, Suvendrini Kakuchi, Clarence White, Leah Larson and Vidya Shankar. Karen credits much of their success to the strength of their diverse cultures, education, backgrounds, expertise and experience and they’re all busy with projects at home and around the globe: “Vidyha is immersing herself in learning Tamil (southern Indian language) and in the past year she’s been to India, Sierra Leone, and Canada. Bharati is doing work internationally in the narrative therapy process, I am off to Moldova soon with a good chance of another project in West Africa, and Clarence is engaged in community work locally and on the north side of Minneapolis.” No doubt, this team will bring much needed positive change and forward motion to every little corner of the work they touch.