Karen Swinger is an educator and entrepreneur with three decades of experience at the intersection of fashion, business, and student success. She has taught Fashion Marketing & Management at The Art Institute of Atlanta and served in multiple academic leadership roles at Middle Tennessee State University, where she helped first-year and transfer students build the habits and skills that drive graduation. As CEO/Owner of The Perfect Choice, Karen has led interior design and fashion ventures in Nashville, Atlanta, and North Carolina—work that keeps her curriculum grounded in real clients, real budgets, and real results. Her courses span entrepreneurship, marketing, consumer behavior, sales, fashion industry survey, textiles, and apparel construction/evaluation. A gifted communicator (“If you can see it, you can be it”), Karen is known for high-engagement, experiential learning that meets students where they are and pushes them to professional readiness. She holds an M.Ed. in Administration & Supervision from Middle Tennessee State University and a B.A. in Fashion Merchandising from North Carolina A&T State University. Karen’s work has been featured by outlets including BRAVO, TLC, and NV Magazine—proof that her classroom perspective is as current as the industry.
