More than anything, I’m fascinated by people—how we communicate, what gives our lives meaning, and how we navigate change. That curiosity has shaped everything I do, from my early studies in linguistics and languages (I’ve studied over 30, though I’m far more fluent in some than others) to my work now helping organizations think about technology in a more human-friendly way.
These days, I spend most of my time as Founder and “Chief Tech Humanist” of KO Insights, where I advise Fortune 500 companies, the UN, and organizations like Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Adobe on making better technology decisions. I’m a keynote speaker, author of six books, and host of The Tech Humanist Show podcast. My book “What Matters Next: A Leader’s Guide to Making Human-Friendly Tech Decisions in a World That’s Moving Too Fast” was named to the Thinkers50 2025 Best New Management Booklist, and I was honored to be included on the Thinkers50 list of the world’s top management thinkers.
My background weaves together technology, language, and storytelling in unexpected ways. I was one of Netflix’s first 100 employees, creating their first content management role. I’ve led analytics agencies, advised major brands, and built some of the early web. But I came to all of this through linguistics—earning degrees in German with minors in Russian and Linguistics, then graduate work in language development. That foundation taught me that language shapes how we see the world, and now I apply that lens to how we design our digital future.
Much of my writing here has been personal—working through grief after losing my dad in 2005 and my first husband in 2012, exploring what it means to rebuild identity and find meaning after profound loss. Those experiences fundamentally shaped how I think about change, resilience, and what matters most in how we live and work. They inform everything I do professionally, too: my belief that technology should serve human flourishing, that organizations are ultimately about people, and that we navigate uncertainty best when we stay connected to what’s most human in us.
My other books include “Tech Humanist” (featured at CES 2019), “Pixels and Place,” and “A Future So Bright.” My written work has appeared in WIRED, Fast Company, USA Today, and other outlets, and I’ve been featured as an expert on BBC, NPR, NBC, and Marketplace.
Born in the Chicago area, I’ve lived in San Jose, Düsseldorf, Portland, Nashville, and now call New York City home—specifically Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan, where I live with my husband, photographer Robbie Quinn, and a constantly growing stack of books. When I’m not traveling for speaking engagements or buried in research, you’ll likely find me exploring the city, diving into language learning apps, or hunting for the perfect coffeeshop to write in.
You can learn more about my work on Wikipedia, connect with me on LinkedIn, or reach me at kate@koinsights.com.
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