About
Kate Makrigiannis
I bring clarity to complex, high-stakes environments through coaching, storytelling, and systems thinking across 14 years - healthcare startups, defense software, enterprise platforms, AI. The core moves work across industries: name what's actually happening, build structure to help get people moving, and make the work usable (maybe even delightful!) in the real world.
I've been doing this work on real teams since before remote work, before the pandemic, before AI. Facilitating hard conversations, synthesizing chaos, getting people moving - I learned all of it without the shortcuts. Now I bring that foundation plus real fluency in the AI tools everyone else is still figuring out.
Career
Recent roles
The three most recent. See the full 14-year chronology on the timeline.
Independent Consulting
Testimonials
What people say
JenniferDesign & Strategy Director, Kaiser Permanente“Kate is AMAZING. Her energy, the structure she brings to discussions, the way she deals with difficult conversations.”
GraceProduct Manager, U.S. Air Force“Kate's love and passion for product management is obvious from the moment you start talking to her. She cares deeply about creating something useful, functional, and beautiful. Kate taught and trained me in product management - everything I understand now about Agile software development is thanks to her capable instruction.”
PeteProduct Portfolio Director, Kaiser Permanente“THANK YOU Kate! You've been a great partner: You challenged me in ways I needed to expand my thinking, you're overflowing with good ideas, and your enthusiasm kept us going. I appreciate how you take notes to visualize ideas and keep work moving forward. Your energy is contagious and makes it a joy to work with you. Let's keep collaborating to curve the organization closer to the crystal-clear product model vision you convey.”
JasonProduct Delivery, Kaiser Permanente“Kate can out-hustle anyone: she brings a contagious energy and passion. Her superpower is simplifying the complexity we deal with - seamlessly weaving through details, synthesizing information visually with unmatched speed. She's a transformative force on our team.”
RawanSenior Product Manager, 1-1 Product Mentee“Kate quite literally taught me everything I know about product. She's the real deal.”
KeyshaProduct Manager, Home Depot“Kate is a natural instructor. She makes it easy for folks to talk to her about goals and challenges. My experience working with her truly prepared me to succeed - granted me a new level of respect from my stakeholders, and helped me repair team relationships. Kate made me into one hell of a product manager.”
Teaching & community
I build scalable coaching systems rather than relying on one-off sessions. Learning hubs, maturity assessments, and skill libraries are how I scale what I know.
- Lead instructor at General Assembly (Product Management, Agile)
- Conference speaker - SpringOne 2020, AFA Air Space & Cyber 2024
- Founded Lean Software Atlanta and Agile Gainesville meetups
- Mentor through Black Girls CODE, Out in Tech, My Mentor Path
- Guest lecturer at Penn State LaunchBox
k8@work
How I work
Who am I, really? What is it like to work with me? A few details about my personality that tend to shine through in my day-to-day work life.
I love to
- •Influence and streamline product ops and processes to find better ways to work
- •Work with empowered teams of folks who really know their stuff. Trusting team members and colleagues to do their own thing well is huge for me
- •Craft pitches for big bets, facilitate hard conversations between stakeholders to make decisions, and celebrate big wins
What the assessments say
Four different assessments keep landing in the same place: an initiator who drives momentum, challenges the status quo, and turns ideas into action. Here is what each says about my result.
Predictive Index
MaverickInnovative, influential, and direct. I shake up the status quo and move fast.
View my result →Enneagram
3w4The Achiever with an introspective edge, driven by purpose and meaningful impact.
View my result →DISC
DiThe Initiator. I own direction, push toward results, and keep groups moving.
View my result →StrengthsFinder
ActivatorA catalyst who turns ideas into action and builds momentum fast.
View my result →Branding Card Deck - Self Assessment
I am: Optimistic, Clever, Opinionated, Intuitive, Approachable.
I am NOT: Ordinary, Subtle, Quiet.
I have the card deck and can run the exercise with you.
K8 in real life
When I'm AFK (away from keyboard)
You can find me somewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area with my wife Zoë and my black lab Cosmo. I love theatre and live music, travel, houseplants, video games, matcha lattes, and smoky mezcal cocktails. My favorite TV show will probably always be LOST, and lately I am all in on the NWSL team BayFC. #BLegendary
Want to work together?
I work with product teams and organizations on delivery, AI adoption, and team enablement.