A high-profile entrepreneurial success, Karen started the online firm SimplySwitch in 2002, and sold the company in 2006 for £22m. She has set up several businesses including Call Britannia, a social enterprise that aims to provide jobs for the long term unemployed.

At the age of just 22, Karen became a young entrepreneur.  She set up one of the country’s first telemarketing companies, the Decisions Group, now part of Sitel. Within seven years the company had more than 200 staff and sales in excess of £4m.By 1990, she had decided it was time for a new challenge.  She sold her share of the company and set up her second business, a firm providing training for call-centre staff; Karen Darby Direct. With two young sons and working from home, Karen became a "mumtreneur". She personally trained hundreds of people in the call centre industry and for many it was a life changing experience. In fact, many champions were raised in ‘Karen’s Stable’, several of whom have gone on to set up their own highly successful businesses.

In 2003, Karen launched her third and most successful venture, SimplySwitch, a price comparison service. She secured venture capital funding from Bridges Community Ventures, which was subject to the business meeting certain social criteria such as being based in one of the most deprived areas of the UK. Initially launched as Simply Energy Ltd offering consumers a free and impartial switching service for gas and electricity, it quickly extended its portfolio of products to include home phone, mobile, broadband and a range of financial products and was re-branded SimplySwitch. The company created over 100 jobs and helped thousands of consumers save over £20m on their household bills.

In August 2006 Karen sold SimplySwitch to the Daily Mail for £22m. Now Karen is on a mission to create 10,000 jobs for the unemployed