Testimonials
Kudos & Recommendations
What people say when they talk about working with me - clients, colleagues, mentees, and collaborators from across 14 years and 30+ organizations.
Recommendations
MichelleRecommendationProduct Management Director, Pivotal Labs“Kate is a passionate, persuasive leader with a bias for action and getting things done. She's a direct communicator who cares deeply about the people she works with and the projects she works on, and she isn't afraid to step into difficult conversations when necessary. She regularly facilitates our management team meetings; she calmly keeps our opinionated bunch on track, doing what's right, and accomplishing our goals each time. She has an upbeat and positive attitude and instills confidence in the people she works with.”
Alex ShermanRecommendationPeer at Pivotal Labs & Kaiser Permanente, Pivotal Labs“Kate is an incredible product leader and teacher. I've had the opportunity to collaborate with Kate on creating workshops, working directly with teams to uncover opportunities, and bring transformation to large organizations, where she comes through as a leader and an amplifier to those involved. She's incredible at helping people learn how to facilitate a regular meeting with impact, to highlighting opportunities to make an organization more adaptable and making it seem like it's within reach.”
Pete HootsRecommendationDirector of Portfolio Management and Planning, Kaiser Permanente“I worked with Kate at Kaiser Permanente where she was a coach driving our adoption of the Product model. Kate's high energy and collaborative approach were impressive. She's a thought partner who thrives on innovation, constantly seeking new opportunities to enhance processes. Kate's expertise is evident in her insights, and her commitment to constant improvement is inspiring.”
Jen HandlerRecommendationManager at KP, PM Peer at Pivotal Labs, Kaiser Permanente“Kate is extremely results-driven, visionary, creative, resourceful, reliable - and she will *exceed* any goal, faster than anyone thought possible. She's an activator at the core, and inspires everyone around her to charge toward a bold and bright future. She's exceptional at simplifying the complex, and solving big, gnarly problems quickly.”
Andi PlantenbergRecommendationTeammate at Kaiser Permanente, Kaiser Permanente“Kate is a powerhouse, effortlessly fusing tenacity and creativity. With expertise in modern product best practices and design best practices, she tackles challenges with precision, leaving no room for ambiguity and proving to be an indispensable force within our team.”
Garret DePassRecommendationFront-End Developer & Design Engineer, Pivotal Labs“Kate and I worked on several consulting projects, and she is hands down the best product manager I've ever worked with. The first time I got to sit with her and a client while she proposed a product roadmap kind of felt like... magic? In the span of about half an hour she was able to break down the client's problem into conceptual elements, describe discreet experiments to run, sequence them into a cohesive roadmap, and get not just client buy-in, but design and engineering buy-in as well. All of this speed results in her ability to walk into most rooms with a strong opinion - not as the end-all-be-all of what the team must do, but as a tool to get the rest of the team to also have strong opinions, thereby increasing the frequency of the team aligning on the best outcome. If Kate's application comes across your desk, you would be doing your team a disservice not to hire her immediately.”
Anthony UminnRecommendationDirector of Digital Transformation & Innovation, U.S. Space Force, Space Launch Delta 45“I worked with Kate when she served as the Product Portfolio Lead for the Software Delivery Organization project, working closely with one of the key solution-focused divisions at Space Launch Delta 45. She was instrumental during the discovery phase - consistently asking the right questions, listening attentively, and relentlessly building connections across the Space Launch Delta ecosystem. If you're looking for someone who can lead with purpose, build bridges across complex organizations, and stay optimistic in the face of ambiguity, Kate's the one you want.”
Grant ZarzourRecommendationFounder & CEO, Hip & Knee Surgeon, Sperity Health“We hired Kate for a short term project, but we quickly realized how valuable her vast skillset is and had to keep her much longer. She built our amazing technology team and provided great leadership and direction. We would have been lost without her, and I highly recommend her.”
Client Feedback
MahamaTechnical Program Manager, Google“Kate is impressive - she provided value right away. She's a 'hell-yes' type of talent.”
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.”
RichExecutive Director, Delivery, Kaiser Permanente“Kate has amazing ideas, is very creative, and highly productive. She brings a lot of great energy, thinking, and leadership to our Delivery practice and is helping me establish and run an effective system for continuous improvement and upleveling our Delivery practices.”
Strategic Client TeamOffice Director + Account Exec, Pivotal Labs“You're doing an amazing job! Thanks a million for coming in and making such a positive impact. Feedback from the clients has been super positive. You go girl!!!”
FrankProduct Designer, U.S. Air Force“When I met Kate, I didn't know what it took to create a product. She trained and led our team that had ZERO experience: she guided us through a Discovery process, planning and design workshops, helped us outline an MVP - and we delivered the first usable product in under 120 days. Kate showed a true passion for building useful software and a knack for facilitating any group meeting. Three years later, she's one of the best PMs I've been fortunate to work with - she directly contributed to my growth as a Product Designer.”
StephProduct Manager, U.S. Air Force“Kate's great at getting the right people in the room, asking the right questions, and moving teams forward to make decisions and turn them into action. She excels at rallying groups to share an identity and help each other.”
JoelFounder/Entrepreneur, Penn State Launchbox“Before our team worked with Kate, we were unsure about our product direction. We left each consultation with her confident in our next steps. Her advice got us thinking about how users might perceive our product once it was in the market, which helped us solidify our user experience and onboarding flow. I would implore you to work with Kate and trust the experience she's got.”
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.”
ChrisDelivery Director, Goldman Sachs“I have to say, I appreciate everything that you bring to the table. It's refreshing, different and challenging. Thank you.”
Colleague Feedback
JenProduct Management Leader, Kaiser Permanente“Thank you for being so creative, proactive, and thoughtful about how we get results every day. You're crushing it in the "get *^%# done" department! Admiration props and gratitude. Thank you for diving into work with such energy and drive - you're developing a reputation as someone who can execute within moments of being thrown into complex situations, and it's incredible to see.”
JayDigital Transformation Coach, Kaiser Permanente“Kate has a strong bias for action. She initiates helpful activities and sees them through, like producing interactive Product Workshops to help teams deliver more value quickly. Kate's willing to speak up about problems she sees and engage her teammates in developing solutions. She's one of the most consistently motivated and energetic people I've worked with.”
EricaDirector of Product Management, Zendesk“I think you're great. I'm excited to see you really executing. Transferring product ownership to your gang was awesome - lets you demonstrate everything I knew you could do when I hired you. You present well and are well liked, and it's known you bring huge value which is so awesome.”
Product ExecutivesProduct Leadership, Kaiser Permanente“FANTASTIC session and awesome presentation. Great job. I love your product campfire - more please.”
JimmyTransformation Org Leader, Kaiser Permanente“Thanks for continuing to look for ways to add value, as always Kate. You've really been a breath of fresh air on this project.”
Jian WeiDirector, Platform Design, Zendesk“It was amazing to partner with you to drive the initial product MVP. You played an important role pushing to clear technical debt and establish key UX! We all appreciate the way you show up for the team and are always so enthusiastic, energetic, and passionate in sharing the team's progress. Your storytelling and presentation skills are something the design and product team have learned a lot from. Thank you for being such an amazing PM to work with.”
BarbaraProgram Operations, Kaiser Permanente“Thanks for making this project happen, Kate. Everything happened so much faster with your help and I really appreciate our working sessions to help me organize all the thoughts in my brain. I'm inspired by you, your passion and your energy. If I could pick someone to pair with, I'd be your dedicated partner always and forever. You bring calm to my otherwise hectic day!”
StevenProduct Delivery Coach, Kaiser Permanente“I learn something new every time I get to work with Kate. I've been impressed with her way to push through complex topics in a fun and engaging way. She did a tremendous amount of ground work to help our OKR metrics exercise go smoothly, and her work with the annual planning team required perseverance, patience, and tact.”
AndiProduct Design Coach, Kaiser Permanente“Your communication in our leadership shareouts is really great. You get their attention and convey the important bits so clearly. Thank you.”
JoelHead of Product, GatsbyJS“Really good job kicking off the new feature with the team. You've really hit the ground running and have been able to come in quickly to grok what we're doing and talk the talk. Excited to dig in more to uncover unknowns.”
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.”
Coaching & Mentee Feedback
RawanSenior Product Manager, 1-1 Product Mentee“Kate quite literally taught me everything I know about product. She's the real deal.”
MyinnCertified Scrum Master, General Assembly“I thoroughly enjoyed your Intro to Product Management course. You were engaging and full of energy. I loved when we broke out into teams to apply what you taught us about MVP - I didn't feel intimidated because you made it so easy for me to understand, even though I don't work in a technical field. I walked away from the experience empowered, confident in my abilities, and ready to move to the next level. Thank you so much.”
YagoIT Business Analyst, CSPO, General Assembly“I was reflecting on my career journey, and I couldn't be grateful enough for the time you spent with me answering questions and giving me advice. This conversation made a huge difference for me! Your recommendation to have "strong opinions loosely held" is one that I continue to apply in my work today. I wanted to thank you for your time and for pointing me in the right direction.”
RobDelivery Director, Kaiser Permanente“LOVE the energy and absolutely LOVED your approach to distill down the priorities for this workstream. Thank you so much for everything, Kate - we are killing it!!!! You are a great coach.”
SanjaySenior Product Manager, Kaiser Permanente“I wanted to tell you about how much value I get out of the drop-in coaching sessions that Kate hosts for Product Managers. Her particular brand of audacious questions and observations (and brutally cheerful dismissal of assumptions) always makes me think and ponder anew.”
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.”
More Feedback
LeeChief Innovation Amplifier, Penn State Launchbox“Kate's product talk was amazing. Just what these teams needed - someone who is passionate and an expert at what they do. Thank you so much for your willingness to help these founders.”
LisaProduct Experience Designer, General Assembly“Kate, Thank you for your insightful and informative panel discussion tonight. Your positive energy and passion for what you do is very engaging. It's apparent you inspire action and energy in those around you, and I really want to learn that skill!”
Workplace TeamEAs and Program Managers, Pivotal Labs“Thanks again for the Product Management presentation you gave the team this week. You KILLED it! You're a really fantastic speaker, everyone really enjoyed it and I personally found it so beneficial. We'd love to have you back to dive deeper into more topics next week.”
SDLC TeamIT Governance, Kaiser Permanente“Kate, thank you so much. You are a delight and so effective at sharing data in a lightning round. We love the subject matter expertise, energy, and passion. THANK YOU KATE!”
RainData Analyst, Kaiser Permanente“Thank you, Kate, for all your help so far with 2024 Planning sessions! We appreciate you jumping in and doing such a great job facilitating and Miro-ing. Appreciate you!”
MichelleCommunications Manager, Kaiser Permanente“Thanks for facilitating our website content meetings. Your passion and enthusiasm shine through!”
MahilAgency Office Director, Pivotal Labs“Kate's work was impressive. Placing a PM on a technical App Modernization project was an experiment - she demonstrated that a good PM can provide massive value here. Her ability to focus and prioritize helped our team meet the OKRs in just 3 weeks. The client feedback was stellar and I strongly believe Kate's contributions played a big role. Her teammates shared positive feedback, too. Thank you Kate!”
Product TeamAward Recognition, ThreeFiveTwo (352, Inc.)“Kate doesn't go to eleven, she goes to twelve. She's the brass ring, the bees knees and the cherry on top. She's the piece de resistance and the creme de la creme. She's the product lead of the universe. We love you to pieces, Kate!”
Nick FornerisProduct Team, ThreeFiveTwo (352, Inc.)“Kate doesn't go to eleven, she goes to twelve. She's the brass ring, the bees knees and the cherry on top. She's the piece de resistance and the creme de la creme. She's the product lead of the universe. We love you to pieces, Kate!”
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