In Passiflora Tea Room and Herbal Apothecary, Karen Tyson, its owner, combines her passion for nutrition, plants, and encouraging people, with her business training and skills. Karen was raised in Watertown , Connecticut and feels her deepest affinity with New England , its products and its people. Her father was an electrical contractor by training—but his love was organic gardening and education. A love of continual learning was nurtured.

Karen graduated cum laude from Barnard College/Columbia University with a BA in Psychology/Biology, but decided to pursue a career in the business world, including an MBA from Columbia Business School (Beta Gamma Sigma). Her career in Retailing progressed through many exciting positions, the longest being with Retail Brand Alliance (Casual Corner Group) where she was Sr. Director of Strategic Marketing for 11 years. Karen then became a junior partner in the Priority Group, a Strategic Marketing Group, where she had a terrific time working with an energetic group of women, consulting to retailers in market research and database management.

However, mid-life transition struck; opening a clean slate to pursue what she was meant to do. As owner of Passiflora, she loves encouraging each of you to start or continue your path to vital health and being the best possible you each day. Her formal training continues having completed Foundations of Herbal Medicine Herbal Certification (offered by Dr. Tieronna Low Dog, MD), Reiki I and II, and Wisdom of the Earth Medicinal Aromatherapy Level I.  Her current passion is her formal study of Ayurveda (“science of life”) at Kripalu Yoga Center in Lenox , MA , including vital lifestyle, herbs, nutrition, Sanskrit and yoga.  Her plan is for these studies to culminate in a M.S. in Ayurveda.  She is also in progress in the M.S. program in Nutrition at the University of Bridgeport .

An advocate of balanced living (after the corporate treadmill), when not at Passiflora, Karen can be found driving her 5 children: Julia, Alex, Nick, Lily and Jackie, crazy. Karen loves yoga, horses, dogs, spending time in nature and art museums, and reading. She feels grateful to be able to give back to this community.