A Coffee with Shreya Bishnoi, Senior Associate at Karp Strategies

We sat down with Shreya Bishnoi, Senior Associate, to explore how her background in civil engineering and economic policy shapes her current work at Karp Strategies. With experience spanning financial institutions, infrastructure development, and stakeholder engagement, Shreya brings a unique blend of technical insights and community awareness to the firm’s most pressing projects. From managing a green grant fund for disadvantaged communities to advancing freight resiliency through the Blue Highways initiative, she’s driven by a deep commitment to impact, accessibility, and equity across her work.

In this conversation, Shreya shares how she bridges the gap between engineers and communities, why people-first planning is at the heart of economic development, and how her unique background in civil engineering and economic policy continues to inspire her professional path. Join us as we dive into her journey and discover how sustainability and public policy intersect in her work to build more equitable and resilient cities.

How do you like your coffee?

Cream with no sugar, but I also like the occasional Turkish.

How did your career lead you to joining Karp Strategies?

It’s been a really interesting and evolving journey. As a trained civil engineer who worked in public sector banking in India for 3 years, I became increasingly interested in economic policy, which led me to pursue graduate studies in the U.S. My grad school experience broadened my perspective, and I began looking for a role where I could integrate both my technical background in civil engineering and my growing passion for economic policy. That’s what drew me to Karp Strategies. The nature of the projects here really resonated with me—complex, multidisciplinary work that allowed me to apply my skills while also learning a great deal, especially as someone who didn’t come from a traditional urban planning background. And while I’ve long worked in stakeholder engagement and economic development, Karp Strategies expanded my experience into new areas like energy transition and infrastructure planning, giving me the opportunity to continue learning and growing.

How has your expertise expanded working with Karp Strategies?

Karp Strategies has really expanded my exposure to new fields and deepened my expertise. I’ve always worked closely with communities, but here I’ve been introduced to a broader range of topics and stakeholders. One of my first projects was in grantmaking, something entirely new to me, and I ended up working on it for over a year, discovering a genuine passion for the field. I’ve also led several resiliency projects where I’ve been able to combine my stakeholder engagement experience with my civil engineering background to support economic development and infrastructure planning. In my role as a Senior Associate, I’m a project leader and manage projects from start to finish. There are many ways to approach project management, but I like how we do it here at Karp Strategies. While we have a strong methodology and use the same systems across the company, Associates have the autonomy to run our work. That's one of the things I really enjoy about working here. It's been a great space to connect all the different strands of my experience and grow in new directions.

What have been some of the projects you’ve worked on that have been most exciting for you?

The grant-making project I talked about earlier, that was my first project at Karp Strategies. We were handing a $2.5M green fund meant for disadvantaged communities in New York State. It was from a private funding source, and KS was the grant administrator. In that role, we did everything from scratch, from writing the RFP to deciding the evaluation criteria and the selection of the grantees. Beyond that, we reported and monitored the grantees. Essentially, we ran an entire grant cycle, and I loved how this project touched on workforce development at its core. Being involved in the entire process and seeing the real impact on people's lives was incredibly fulfilling. In general, at Karp Strategies, I’ve had the opportunity to work on projects that truly make a difference, and that’s something I deeply value.

I'm currently working on the Blue Highways project. I enjoy working on this project in particular because it directly addresses truck traffic and greenhouse gas emissions by shifting freight from roads to waterways. This isn’t just about sustainability, it's about environmental justice. Many of the neighborhoods most impacted by truck congestion and pollution are low-income and historically underserved. Reducing truck traffic helps improve air quality and quality of life in these communities, making the work both meaningful and urgent. 

To make Blue Highways successful, we need to understand both the infrastructure and workforce dimensions. On one hand, it requires capital investments—upgrading piers and landing sites to receive freight vessels. On the other, we need to assess what kinds of jobs this system will create and whether we have a trained workforce ready to fill them. At Karp Strategies, we’re analyzing both sides, the physical infrastructure and workforce development, to ensure the project delivers real, lasting impact on New York City’s economy.

How has your civic engineering background influenced your experience at Karp Strategies?

Civil engineering gives me a strong foundation, not just in understanding technical systems, but also in connecting with people. In my resiliency work, I often act as a bridge between designers and communities. I can grasp the technical details and then translate them in a way that’s clear and accessible to those who may not have that background. That communication is essential, especially when projects directly affect neighborhoods. Even with my experience, I still have to work to understand complex terms, so I know how important it is to make this information understandable for everyone.

What is the importance of economic analysis and policy when evaluating a project?

Economic analysis and policy are essential because they help determine both the internal feasibility and the external impact of a project. Internally, it's about asking: is this project viable? Do we have the budget, and can it be executed within those constraints? Externally, we assess how it will affect communities and whether it aligns with broader economic and policy goals. Even the best-designed plan can fall short if it’s not economically feasible or policy-aligned. At Karp Strategies, we always evaluate projects through both lenses—what works for us and what works for the people we are serving.

In any project you work on, what do you focus on when it comes to economic development?

Economic development is very close to my heart. For me, it always starts with people and understanding who the project is meant to serve. You can’t drive meaningful economic change without engaging communities directly, listening to their needs, and incorporating their voices into the planning process. No strategy is complete unless it reflects the experiences and priorities of the people it's designed to impact.

Depending on the project, one of the first steps is to go to your stakeholders, listen to their concerns, and use that input to shape the direction of the work. From there, we move to data, gathering information on the ground, often in partnership with community members who know the local context best. The third element is place, not just as a physical setting, but as a dynamic environment shaped by its social, economic, and cultural context. Every place has its own assets, challenges, and opportunities. For this reason, we take a holistic data-people-place approach to understand the full picture.

Finally, we focus on execution, thinking through how a plan can be implemented, and whether it’s actionable in the near term. In short, it’s about grounding the work in people, validating it with data, contextualizing it in place, and ensuring it’s feasible and deliverable.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I have always loved nature—being outside really grounds me. I am especially driven by the sun, so I spend as much time as I can in parks or near the water. One of my personal goals is to visit as many national parks as possible. I also love to travel, especially to places with historical and architectural significance. There’s something inspiring about seeing buildings that were constructed so long ago, yet still stand with such beauty and craftsmanship. It reminds me of the connection between people, place, and time.

Fast Facts:

Last TV show I binge-watched: Docuseries on JFK called Kennedy.

Restaurant (delivery) I’d recommend to close friends: Chola on the Upper East Side for authentic South Indian food. 

Best concert I’ve ever experienced: Adele’s Las Vegas residency.

Book that changed me: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.

Favorite course in graduate school: Impact Evaluation

Movies I’d pay to see again and again: There are so many movies I love, but if I had to choose a performance I'd see again and again, it would be The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. It's absolutely stunning to watch.

My heroes are: 

Amrita Devi Bishnoi, Marie Curie, and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.