Kate Brodock is CEO of SWITCH and General Partner of The W Fund.
SWITCH is a global platform that focuses on gender and representation in the startup and investment space, with a strong focus on building leadership skills for both founders and investors. The W Fund is its sister venture capital fund, investing into women and underrepresented-led early-stage technology startups around the world.
She’s lived in the tech startup world for almost 20 years, playing an active leadership role in the women in tech ecosystem.
The two decade combination of her operational experience in startups and her deep expertise on and central commitment to gender and representation in the ecosystem has positioned her as a expert and leader on the creation and development of a more equitable future for our innovation economy.
She’s also an EiR at Techstars, and a mentor for several other startup programs. She enjoys putting her 15-year experience in the tech industry to work advising and mentoring startups.
She’s held previous roles as CMO of untapt, an AI-driven tech talent marketplace based in NYC, President of Girls in Tech, a global organization for women in entrepreneurship, Executive Director of Digital Media as well as Adjunct Professor in PR and Marketing at Syracuse University, and founded and led the Other Side Group, an integrated marketing agency. She’s been in and around the tech startup ecosystem as mentor, judge, advisor, investor and entrepreneur for her entire career.
Kate has spoken and been featured at numerous events, including SXSW, Collision Conference, Rally Innovation, 15 Seconds Festival, Fast Company Innovation Uncensored, NWX, and TEDx, and has been featured in Washington Post, Huffington Post, IBT, MSNBC, TechCrunch and Al Jazeera America.
She holds a BA from the University of Rochester (majors in Political Science and African American History), an MBA from Goizueta Business School at Emory University (specialties in Entrepreneurship and Marketing) and an MA in International Relations from the Fletcher School at Tufts University (specialities in Security Studies and Southwest Asia & Islamic Civilization).
When she’s not doing all *that*, she’s a very non-professional (but adventurous!) athlete, an equally as non-professional musician (she was in a cool band once!), can be found outdoors in any weather — skiing, biking, hiking, sailing — loves a good meal with bubbly, craft beer and good friends, hilariousness and life. Her husband is a web-developer-turned-beer-guy and they now live on a hops farm in Upstate NY (he wishes she liked IPAs a little more) with their two boys.
Current Positions
CEO, Women 2.0
Contributor, Forbes
Mentor, Techstars Anywhere Cohort
Board Member, iZone, University of Rochester
Board Member, Cazenovia Ski Club
For education info
Experience
untapt, 2015–2017
Chief Marketing Officer
- Machine-driven hiring platform that matches tech talent to hiring companies.
- Lead all marketing, branding and content efforts across the organization
- Develop short-, medium- and long-term strategies for all external communications, as well as internal candidate and client communication experiences
- Manage marketing and advertising budget that focuses on client/candidate acquisition and brand awareness
Forbes, 2012-present
Contributor
- Write pieces on women in business, entrepreneurship, technology and leadership
- Techstars, 2016-present
- Mentor
- Marketing, Growth and Strategy Mentor for the Barclays Techstars FinTech Accelerator 2016 class.
The Whitman School at Syracuse University, 2014–2015
- Adjunct Professor of Marketing
- Teach undergraduate level Digital Marketing course
The Newhouse School at Syracuse University, 2013–2015
Adjunct Professor of PR
- Teach graduate and undergraduate level Data & Analytics course and Advanced PR Writing and Social Media course
Girls in Tech, 2008–2015
President
- Global non-profit for women in technology and entrepreneurship.
- Led and directed all aspects of organization’s 50-Chapter network
- Developed short-, medium-, and long-term organizational strategy
- Led all efforts around branding, marketing and messaging
- Created the strategic direction and directed the implementation of global programming, including industry conferences, mentorship programs, hackathons and online learning
- Oversaw and supported 100+ Managing Directors around the world
- Cultivated key relationships with partners, sponsors and donors
- Led the organization through non-profit filing and intensive, 12-month internal organization process
- *A note on timeline: Girls in Tech was part-time/volunteer until early 2014, at which point it was full time, hence the overlap in positions with the below.
W2O Group Center for Social Commerce at The Newhouse School at Syracuse University, 2013–2014
Director
- Center focused on the use of social, digital and mobile data in understanding audience behavior and creating effective engagement points between brands and audiences for marketing and communication programs.
- Led efforts to get Center “off the ground” in its initial stages
- Developed full strategic outline, goal-setting and budget for the Center
- Managed marketing, brand message and website
- Created Student Ambassador program for undergraduate PR students
- Developed external relationships to benefit student/industry connections
Syracuse University, 2012–2014
Social Media and Content Marketing Training
- Led community-focused workshops and training programs on social media, blogging, online writing, wordpress and strategy-building for the TEDCenter at Syracuse University
Syracuse University, 2011–2013
Executive Director of Digital and Social Media Marketing
- Developed first university social media marketing strategy
- Led the process of integration of social media into existing marketing, web and PR processes
- Oversaw network of university social media platforms, and increased presence on additional, relevant platforms
- Worked heavily on integrating marketing strategy and brand management cross-functionally (marketing, web development, PR, news services, etc) and cross-campus (admissions, student affairs, alumni affairs, etc).
- Managed 10-student social media team
- Created university social media guidelines
- Increased team use of data analysis and reporting
- Acted as digital and social media marketing consultant to separate schools and programs in the SU system
- Received multiple media write-ups, speaking/training requests and accolades as recognition for being at the forefront of social media marketing in the higher education space
Other Side Group, 2008–2011
Founder & Principal
- Integrated marketing & communications strategy firm that worked primarily with technology companies ranging from large software companies to 10-person UX shops.
- Started, grew and managed 5-person firm
- Led client acquisition and client management
- Ran all aspects of the business and led strategic marketing planning
- Company focused on creating and implementing full marketing strategies, including (but not limited to) effective digital and/or social media programs, online brand development and management, website optimization/SEO through content production, thought leadership, and reporting and metrics, training and workshops
Bose, 2007
MBA Product Marketing Intern
- Responsible for sales analysis and customer satisfaction analysis for premium product line
- Projects included compilation and dissection of data, presentation of findings to upper management, and initiation of action items stemming from findings
- Other projects included product phase out, analysis and implementation of one-month promotional program, construction of additional customer satisfaction surveys and in-store test proposal
Kate Brodock, 2005–2006
Market Researcher
- Launched a market research consulting practice specializing in business plan development, competitive analysis and market due diligence
Priority 5 Group, 2005
Senior Analyst, European Markets
- Start-up focusing on Critical Infrastructure Preparedness for private firms using simulation software
- Proved a major decision-maker in firm, and part of the three person founding team
- Conducted heavy market and business research in all applicable areas, including security, technology and terrorism
- Executed communication and planning with top-level US and UK executives and experts in the field
- Managed the Cambridge MA office
Harvard University, 2003–2005
Research Assistant, History of Science
- Conducted academic research under Professor Ann Blair, Henry Charles Lea Professor of History as part of her John D and Catherine T MacArther Foundation Fellowship
- Research focused on history of the written and printed word, with a heavy focus on recording mechanisms
Ignition Ventures, 2003–2005
Associate
- Technology Transfer firm focusing primarily, but not exclusively, in the biotech field
- Performed major qualitative and quantitative research for a small technology transfer firm, including market intelligence, technology research and analysis, competitive analysis, business plan formation and final presentations