It seemed like the end of an era in 2017 when trailblazing benefit auctioneer Karen Sorbo left Minnesota for a warmer climate. But she’s back—thanks to grandchildren and her tireless energy for what she dubbed “charitainment,” literally inventing the category of entertaining fundraising. She’s raised $1 billion for charities over three decades, and she’s not stopping there. “I’ve mastered the craft of getting an audience to trust me,” she says, and today it’s less about the big, flashy auction item and more about inspiring gala attendees to fund a need. “There’s more emphasis on tugging at heartstrings, getting them to focus on the why, not the prize items.”