Kate is passionate about building brands that engage the hearts and minds of employees and customers, and she remains intrigued by the force of culture: how it influences employees' motivation and engagement and how it relates to the bottom line.

Prior to life at Bonfire, Kate was instrumental in developing the brand and retail concept of Elephant Pharmacy. As brand manager and director of marketing, education and internal communications, her greatest joy was building the United States' largest natural cosmetics and body care department with her passion for health and wellness.

Kate's unique skill set comes from a wide variety of experiences. She studied the impact of decision-making models at the College of Wooster, obtaining a degree in international relations. At Cornell University, she studied organizational development, change management and strategic decision making, and worked on the $1 Billion Plus Campaign. During that time, Kate also began investing in emerging retail and technology. She eventually moved to the Bay Area, where she became the San Francisco chair of Women in Technology International (while training as a facilitator and professional coach).

Kate adores her husband and two young children, Kai and Emma. She loves the movies, hiking, surfing and sea kayaking, and she fundraises for the Alzheimer's Foundation.