Central Valley native Karen Warner has always been driven to make a difference. The Oakdale native is currently making waves in the bioeconomy landscape as CEO of Beam Circular.
Beam Circular, based in Modesto, acts as a coordinating hub for regional and national bioeconomy projects. The nonprofit collaborates with regional community colleges, universities, economic development organizations, bio-based companies, startups, large manufacturers, community partners, and investors.
Warner, a 2006 Oakdale High School graduate, earned her undergraduate degree in Human Biology from Stanford University in 2010. After graduation, she moved to New York to help build the non-profit Global Health Corps, which led to a role at Emerson Collective, a social change organization founded by Laurene Powell Jobs. At Emerson, Warner focused on education, immigration reform, and health.
In 2015, Warner began her graduate studies, spending a year and a half at Stanford for her MBA and another year and a half at Harvard for her MPA (Masters in Public Administration). In 2018, Warner returned to the Central Valley and volunteered for Josh Harder’s Congressional campaign. Following his win, she led the district’s office from Modesto, co-leading the team with Harder’s Chief of Staff in Washington, D.C.
“It was amazing to come back to the Valley. In a legislative office, you interact with a cross-section of the community—meeting with the Farm Bureau, the water district, hospitals, local churches, and the teachers union. It was a fascinating way to be reintroduced to the region,” Warner said.
In 2019, after the birth of her son and later her daughter in 2022, Warner began to focus on the future.
“I’ve always been interested in growing the economy here in a way that benefits both people and the planet. With climate change impacting us, we need to adapt and create solutions that foster community and steward resources for future generations.”
Warner’s interest deepened as she worked on the Stanislaus 2030 planning process—a public-private initiative aimed at creating a strategic investment plan for the county. The research unveiled a growing bioeconomy and the potential to transform local waste into new products, sparking Warner’s interest.
“One of the key recommendations from the Stanislaus 2030 report was developing a circular bioeconomy by converting biomass into bio-based products. That’s how Beam Circular was born,” Warner explained.
Industries like almond growers are leaders in investing in circular product development. “Other industries may be newer to this focus,” Warner said.
One of Warner’s proudest achievements is Beam Circular’s accelerator program, which offers entrepreneurs deep support, funding, advising, and mentoring. The first cohort, launched in February, received 102 global applications and selected six entrepreneurs, including the founder of Fit Candy, a Turlock company creating candy from watermelon rinds.
Most recently, Beam Circular secured $9.8 million in funding to build the California Bioeconomy Innovation Campus. This facility will help scale technologies that convert agricultural byproducts, food waste, and forestry residues into renewable energy, sustainable materials, and other valuable products.
“The campus will offer shared facilities for entrepreneurs, support workforce training, and de-risk technologies that unlock new industry opportunities,” Warner said. “This is a major step forward for California’s leadership in the bioeconomy.”
Warner’s work reflects her belief that the community is building the infrastructure to turn waste into opportunity, creating green jobs while protecting the environment.
To learn more about Beam Circular, visit: beamcircular.org.
