Karen Yates is a Chicago-based producer, director, actor, and writer with a deep passion for live performance. She is also a somatic sex educator and the executive producer and host of Wild & Sublime, a popular podcast and live stage show in Chicago that discusses sexuality from an inclusive and empowering perspective. Yates has received numerous grants for her artistic work and has worked with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Writers' Theatre, Eclipse, and Chicago Opera Vanguard, where she served as the Associate Artistic Director.

Yates has directed and acted in workshops and performances across Chicago and Belfast, Northern Ireland, and her work has been praised by journalists for its masterful, vibrant and kinetic, and evocative qualities. Her impressive background has led her to become a member of the American Guild of Musical Artists. With her extensive experience and passion for live performance, Karen Yates is a prominent figure in the Chicago arts scene.