During her time with Procter and Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio, Carene Kunkler served as the brand manager for Pert Shampoo, which was struggling at the time. She developed the “wash and go shampoo and conditioner in one” campaign, establishing Pert as the world’s first active lifestyle shampoo, completely turning the brand around. Her award-winning copy was used for years as two-in-one shampoo and conditioner products spread around the world. Following her time at Procter and Gamble, Carene Kunkler managed all product development, purchasing, and distribution efforts at hundreds of LensCrafters locations throughout North America as vice president of product supply, among other leadership positions.

Carene Kunkler studied marketing as an undergraduate student at Michigan State University in Lansing, graduating with a bachelor of science. During her time at the school, she served as a resident hall advisor and vice president of the Rugby Club. She continued her education at Michigan State by enrolling in a master of business administration program, with an emphasis on marketing. Prior to earning her degree, she spent time as an academic advisor and president of the Marketing Club.