Katie began providing program direction for the Fab Lab in San Diego in 2007, when she worked to co-develop the San Diego installation of the global Fab Lab network. From this origin, she has built local partnerships to create a community-embedded learning laboratory and to develop related curricula, programs and initiatives focused on education and civic engagement.
Katie brings a commitment to community-based access to education and career pathways, as well as experience to ensure that programs focus on equity and engagement while meeting strategic outcomes. Some of the community-based initiatives that she has organized or co-organized locally include the Smart City Hackathon, the Open City Urban Prototyping Festival, and the National Day of Civic Hacking. These initiatives work to bring citizens, local government and academia together to consider and develop community solutions through prototyping practices.
As a part of this commitment to community development and engagement, Katie has worked with the Fab Foundation in several capacities, including as GE Brilliant Career Lab Manager. She has been a Senior Strategy Advisor at the University of California San Diego Design Lab, and currently serves as the Community Impact Director at The San Diego Foundation.
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