Karina Lipsman
Born in Odesa, Ukraine, Karina was the only Ukrainian refugee immigrant in the country to run for Congress in the 2022 election. She has an extensive background in the defense and intelligence industry and is highly respected as an advocate and spokesperson for this field by political pundits, media, business leaders, and elected officials.
Karina currently serves on the Johns Hopkins University Alumni Council, the Virginia Conservative Women’s Coalition Advisory Board, and was appointed by Virginia Governor Youngkin to the New Americans Advisory Board in 2024. She is a visiting fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum and a visiting fellow at George Mason University’s National Security Institute. Her expert commentary has been featured on Fox News, Washington Times, Daily Caller, RealClearPolicy, Washington Examiner, and more. Most recently Karina was the Corporate Strategy Development lead at Peraton, and prior to that served as a Senior Strategist at Northrop Grumman. She holds a Master of Science in Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Towson University.
Ms. Lipsman previously served full-time with the VOC team.
Through her role with the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, Karina contributes a unique perspective shaped by her lived experience under authoritarianism and a deep commitment to ensuring that the lessons of communism remain central to public discourse, policymaking, and civic education in the United States.
