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Written by Louise Stokes, Director, Digital Leaders

Digital Leaders Wales have recently appointed a new chair of the regional programme.

Meet Karen Lewis

Karen  spent the first part of her career in education and community development before moving into the field participatory media. She was founder Producer of the BBC’s award- winning Digital Storytelling initiative ‘Capture Wales’ and was later appointed the BBC’s Partnerships Manager for Wales, responsible for the BBC’s Learning Partnerships, social action campaigns and charity broadcasts.

She left the BBC after 11 years to become Director of a Research Centre in the Faculty of Creative Industries at the University of South Wales, where over a period of seven years she led a range of research and public engagement projects in the field of digital participation and community media. She then joined the Wales Co-operative Centre, where she is currently Director of Engagement and Innovation. For over 13 years Karen has also worked in the field of Digital Inclusion, most recently leading on Welsh Government’s Digital Inclusion programme, Digital Communities Wales. 

She was appointed as a member to Ofcom’s Advisory Committee Wales in 2015 and stepped down from that role when she was appointed as the Communications Consumer Panel’s  Member for Wales in 2018. 

In recognition of her work in the field of Digital Storytelling, Karen has been awarded a BAFTA Cymru, a Welsh Government award for Innovation, and was recipient of the Women in Technology (Wales) award. She was Digital Leaders’ Champion for Wales in 2018 and is currently Wales Chair of the Digital Leaders Network. 

Karen has studied at the Universities of Cardiff, Aberystwyth and South Wales and she holds a BA (hons) MA (Res) PgDip and PgCE. She is a Visiting Fellow at the University of South Wales and retains an active research interest. 

Mae Arweinwyr Digidol Cymru wedi penodi cadeirydd newydd y rhaglen ranbarthol yn ddiweddar.

Cwrdd â Karen Lewis

Treuliodd Karen ran gyntaf ei gyrfa ym maes addysg a datblygu cymunedol cyn symud i’r maes cyfryngau cyfranogol. Hi oedd y cynhyrchydd a sefydlodd ‘Cipolwg ar Gymru’ sef menter straeon digidol y BBC sydd wedi ennill gwobrau. Cafodd ei phenodi wedyn yn Rheolwr Partneriaethau’r BBC ar gyfer Cymru, gan fod yn gyfrifol am Bartneriaethau Dysgu’r BBC, ymgyrchoedd gweithredu cymdeithasol a darllediadau elusennol.

Gadawodd y BBC ar ôl 11 mlynedd i fod yn Gyfarwyddwr Canolfan Ymchwil yng Nghyfadran Diwydiannau Creadigol Prifysgol De Cymru. Yno, dros gyfnod o saith mlynedd, arweiniodd nifer o brosiectau ymchwil ac ymgysylltu â’r cyhoedd ym maes cyfryngau cymunedol a chyfranogiad digidol. Ymunodd wedyn â Chanolfan Cydweithredol Cymru, a hi yw’r Cyfarwyddwr Ymgysylltu ac Arloesi ar hyn o bryd. Ers dros 13 o flynyddoedd, mae Karen wedi gweithio hefyd ym maes Cynhwysiant Digidol, gan arwain yn fwyaf diweddar raglen Cynhwysiant Digidol Llywodraeth Cymru, Cymunedau Digidol Cymru.

Cafodd ei phenodi’n aelod o Bwyllgor Cynghori Cymru Ofcom yn 2015, a gadawodd y rôl honno pan gafodd ei phenodi’n aelod Cymru ar y Panel Defnyddwyr Cyfathrebiadau yn 2018.

I gydnabod ei gwaith ym maes Straeon Digidol, mae Karen wedi cael gwobr BAFTA Cymru, gwobr Llywodraeth Cymru am Arloesi, a gwobr Merched mewn Technoleg (Cymru). Hi oedd Hyrwyddwr Arweinwyr Digidol Cymru yn 2018, ac mae’n Gadeirydd Rhwydwaith Arweinwyr Digidol Cymru ar hyn o bryd.

Astudiodd Karen ym Mhrifysgolion Caerdydd, Aberystwyth a De Cymru, ac mae ganddi radd BA (anrhydedd), MA (Ymchwil), Diploma Ôl-raddedig a Thystysgrif Addysg i Raddedigion (TAR). Mae’n Gymrawd Gwadd Prifysgol De Cymru ac mae ganddi ddiddordeb brwd o hyd mewn maes ymchwil.

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