Karen Brooks Hopkins is the president of Brooklyn Academy of Music, an institution that provides one of the few reasons for culture-obsessed Manhattanites to take the subway across the East River.

University of Maryland graduate Hopkins volunteered in Israel's 1973 Yom Kippur War and lived on a Jerusalem kibbutz for a year before earning an MFA from George Washington University. In 1979, she joined BAM as a development officer. She's been with the arts institution ever since, taking over as president in 1999 when Harvey Lichtenstein stepped down. Hopkins had big shoes to fill upon his departure: Lichtenstein was the driving force behind BAM's rise to cultural prominence in the 1970s and 1980s and an enormously influential cultural figure over more than three decades. Despite some early challenges—funding dipped following Sept. 11th and BAM was forced to cut its budget—Hopkins has largely prevailed.

Since taking over, Hopkins has introduced a number of new programs, including educational programs for kids, underprivileged teens and senior citizens. In 2004, she unveiled an $8.6 million restoration that returned the neo-Classical building to its former glory. More recently, Hopkins partnered with Robert Redford to establish the Creative Latitude festival, which brought Sundance Film Festival winners to BAM. And having proven herself to be an adept fundraiser, she's written the book on the subject: Successful Fundraising for Arts & Cultural Organizations. [Image via Getty]