Offered by Katy D.

Joined January 2025

Experienced Startup Leader | Harvard, Stanford, YCombinator Startup COO

I'm an experienced leader with almost a decade of progressive leadership experience in executive roles in startups and social impact. I'm the COO of a YCombinator-backed startup (a leading Democratic political software company), was previously the Chief of Staff for the same company, and have served as a fractional Chief of Staff for a number of other startups. I've worked directly with numerous CEOs and executive teams, with a range of leadership styles. I've also directly managed many many staff members over the years, many of them managers themselves. My interest in "people science" and leadership is rooted in my undergrad studies in Sociology at Harvard; I focused on organizational sociology with a minor in psychology, intently focused on human behavior at work and how leaders can maximize both performance and empathy. I've gone on to both formally and informally coach a number of leaders - my own direct reports, peers, and many junior staffers taking their first leadership role. I've also worked to develop a formal leadership training course for young leaders in the social impact space. My academic background, lived experience as a Chief of Staff and startup COO, and significant time spent coaching and mentoring, are the pillars of my coaching expertise. My leadership coaching mentality is rooted in listening/empathy, frank and direct feedback, and actionable advice that can lead to tangible progress in your particular leadership goal.