Katy D.
Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business
Works at Impactive
Available tomorrow at 4:00 PM UTC
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About Katy
🏠 I grew up in Spokane, WA in a suburban, middle-class family; my dreams came true when I was admitted to Harvard for undergrad. 🎓 I studied Sociology at Harvard, with strong interests in both politics and tech/startups. 💻 I've spent most of my career at the intersection of tech, startups, politics, and social impact, most recently as the COO of Impactive, a leading Democratic political software startup (YCombinator-backed). 🌲 I'm an incoming MBA student at Stanford GSB, exploring what comes next for me in politics, tech, startups, sports, and/or media. ❤️ I'm also the Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Youth Leadership Council, and a Board of Directors member for TeenTix. 🐶 I live in Seattle, WA with my fluffy, adorable Samoyed dog, Nora.
Why do I coach?
When I navigated my first elite admissions process as a high schooler, I was completely alone - I didn't have any sort of coaching or counseling, and no one I knew had achieved Ivy League admission before. It took a lot of hard work, and no small bit of luck, to get into Harvard on my own. That experience was a big reason why I joined CollegeVine as an early employee in 2016; the company has since grown into one of the leading brands in admissions in the US, and it's where I got my first professional experience as an admissions consultant. Ever since, I've worked on and off in formal admissions consulting, and have also been an informal coach/mentor for many students and peers along the way. I also do a great deal of career mentorship, given my many years of hiring experience in tech, startups, and social impact. I'm an engaged Harvard alum (and admissions interviewer), and spend a good deal of time mentoring current students in a variety of ways. I get a lot of joy out of helping others achieve their dreams; I like to think that I have unique strengths in listening, offering actionable input, and being honest and pragmatic.
Work Experience
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Impactive
January 2022 - Present
Hiring Manager
COO of successful, YCombinator-backed political software startup.
Chief of Staff
Impactive
February 2021 - January 2022
Hiring Manager
Founder / Startup Consultant
Katy Dolan Consulting
March 2019 - February 2021
Special Assistant to the CEO
Cue Ball Capital
August 2018 - March 2019
Marketing, Product, and Operations Generalist
CollegeVine
September 2016 - May 2018
Early hire at CollegeVine, now one of the most successful (undergrad) admissions consultancies/brands in the US. I worked on the corporate team, and was also a professional admissions consultant.
Education
Stanford Graduate School of Business
MBA
2025 - 2027
Incoming MBA at Stanford GSB
Harvard University
Bachelor's, Sociology
2014 - 2018
- John Harvard Scholar (4.00 GPA, top 5% of class) in junior and senior years - Summa cum laude and Highest Honors in Sociology for senior thesis on gender dynamics in women's sports - Head of two extracurricular organizations: JFK Jr. Forum Committee (Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School) and Village to Raise a Child (Harvard Social Innovation Collaborative)