Kate McGowan, she/her

CURRICULUM DESIGNER, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT,
COACH AND CLIENT STEWARD

"Anything worth thinking about is worth singing about."

— Bob Dylan

Kate is an essential part of our design ensemble, turning the Shared Leadership Framework into learning journeys for teams. She is working as a human-centered designer on a myriad of products, is an active coach to journey participants and nurtures them through her active stewardship of their individual and collective experiences. You will also see her shining brightly as a host and guide in a number of our Journey videos.

Many experiences early in her government and corporate careers left Kate wondering if there was a better way to build healthy workplace environments. Her first experience of shared leadership began when she opened an accounting firm and hired new mothers returning to the workforce. 

Understanding of the complexities of working while taking care of young children, her team at her CPA practice actively chose to lead with compassion, vulnerability, and humanity. Co-workers stayed home when kids were sick, brought them to work when schools were closed, and scheduled client meetings around family priorities. As a result, she found both the work itself and the team relationships very rewarding, and continued on a career path that aligned with her newfound values.

Kate sold the business after 10 years and moved to Vermont, leading several non-profits over the years. She quickly discovered many of the unhealthy business practices prevalent in that sector, and decided to take a proactive approach, receiving certification in conflict resolution and mediation. Kate then went another step further, exploring new ways to lead in graduate school, where she met members of the Global Round Table Leadership team. Seeing shared leadership in practice at GRTL was like a homecoming: arriving to the team, the work, and the vision that eluded her for so many years.

When she’s not leading compassionate work, Kate enjoys doing anything in the beauty of the natural world: cycling, skiing, hiking, gardening, and more. She also fiercely protects her sleep.