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New York, NY—Karen Goracke, president and CEO of Omaha, NE-based Borsheims, was presented with the Women’s Jewelry Association’s Visionary Award at the organization’s 2021 Awards for Excellence Gala, held October 20 in New York City. Goracke was honored alongside fashion industry titan Fern Mallis, the creator of New York Fashion Week, the globally attended event that’s part of the biennial ready-to-wear fashion shows taking place in Paris, Milan, and London. Image: Goracke, left, with WJA past president Brandee Dallow.

WJA’s annual fundraising event brought together 250 in-person guests and hundreds more joined virtually for a night of networking and celebration. Themed Building Resilience Through Responsible Business, the event highlighted three important focus areas: diversity, equity and inclusion; responsible sourcing and sustainability; and leadership development for women.

In her acceptance speech, Goracke made a point to recognize her many sponsors, colleagues, and mentors who have helped support and guide her throughout her distinguished career. In the audience to support her on Wednesday night were her husband of 30 years, her adult sons, and Sonny Sethi of Tara Pearls, one of her many mentors.

With over 85% of staff being female, Borsheims has been a longtime champion for working mothers and a proponent of promoting women to leadership positions, and WJA’s mission to “help women in the jewelry and watch industries advance and develop professionally through networking, education, leadership development, and the provision of member services” means a great deal to Goracke, who entered the jewelry industry more than 30 years ago as a young woman fresh out of college. She understands how essential these kinds of support were to her own professional development. 

Before being appointed president and CEO by Borsheims’ owner Warren Buffett, Goracke served in several different roles, including sales associate, inventory supervisor, buyer, and director of merchandising. This range of experience, paired with her involvement in various industry affiliations, has helped her acquire a breadth of knowledge, not only of Borsheims but also of the worldwide jewelry industry.