Karen Braun
Chief Market AnalystRenowned columnist and Zaner Chief Market Analyst, Karen Braun uses her scientific way of thinking to provide insights on all aspects of the global agriculture markets, including a large focus on grains and oilseeds. Karen has a passion for education, data, statistics, and charts, and she uses them to put context behind the news, helping readers understand the “why & how” in whatever hot topic is driving the markets.
Karen comes to Zaner after nearly 10 years as the Global Agriculture Markets Columnist for Reuters News, although interestingly enough she doesn't come from an editorial or agricultural background.
After she completed her undergraduate studies in Atmospheric Science at Cornell University with a minor concentration in Applied Economics and Management, Karen followed with a Master of Science in Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma - where she was involved in the second phase of the tornado research project that had inspired the original Twister movie.
Karen traded in storm chasing for crop scouting in 2012, beginning her career in agriculture with Chicago-based research group Lanworth, then owned by Thomson Reuters. At Lanworth, Karen was responsible for Ukrainian and European grain and oilseed production forecasts as well as short and long-term weather outlooks.
She gained plenty of boots-on-the-ground experience, completing crop tours in Ukraine, Russia, France, Serbia, as well as countless trips across the U.S. Corn Belt.
In 2015, Karen made a move to the editorial side of Thomson Reuters, where she expanded her coverage to include all corners of the ag markets, from supply to demand, to trade and policy, weather, government forecasts, and more. She has spoken to audiences across four continents, amassing more than 85,000 followers on X and becoming one of the leading analyst voices in agriculture.
While at Reuters, Karen also moonlighted as a sports reporter, covering gymnastics at the 2024 Paris Olympics as well as writing remotely for the 2020 Tokyo Games. Outside of work, Karen enjoys gymnastics, traveling, wine and food, cats, and staying active. Karen started gymnastics at age 3 and competed through college, still avidly following the sport.