Kari Hicks is currently working as a GIS Data Analyst at Duke Energy, with over 5 years of experiencing working in both the academic and commercial fields of GIS.

She worked as an Associate Instructor of GIS and Remote Sensing at Indiana University. She also served as a research assistant on a project that used GIS, Remote Sensing, and statistical analysis to explore the relationship between labor sharing activities and agricultural productivity in Zambia. During this time, she stretched beyond the boundaries of academia and worked with Holon Publishing and Collective Press as a project manager, where she oversaw the planning, implementation, and execution of author projects. With Holon and partner Morrison Marketing and Media, she helped manage the press and media effort for the Dalai Lama's trip to Louisville, Kentucky in 2013.