Karin Ralph was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, NY and moved to Jackson, WY in 1977. She is part owner of The Restoration Workshop, Ltd., which specializes in antique and furniture restoration. She also owns and runs a bookkeeping service. She has volunteered her time for various causes and organizations in the community for many years. In early Winter of 2004, her good friends, Scott and Chris Coats, had just returned from volunteer work in Cambodia. They approached her with their dream of starting their own NGO with the goal of rebuilding damaged or destroyed schools in the impoverished Cambodian Province of Siem Reap. Karin happily accepted the board position of Secretary/Treasurer. In May of 2004, Chris invited her to travel to Cambodia to obtain information necessary to apply for a 501c3 tax exempt status. "As soon as my feet hit the ground, I was in a state of shock. I took many pictures, but they don‚t begin to show the utter poverty conditions these people live in. They have no running water, no electricity and very little to call their own. Even though their education level may be very low, they are very intelligent. They simply don‚t have the means to do anything about it. Needless to say, that trip changed my life forever. I traveled back to Cambodia in February of 2007 and was astounded at the strides Trailblazer had made in two and a half years. Toward the end of 2008, after serving on the board for 4 and a half years, I reluctantly stepped down, due to family illnesses requiring my full-time attention. Never was Trailblazer Foundation far from my heart during my absence. I continued to act independently as an ambassador spreading the word." Karin rejoined the Board of Directors as of August 2011.