
Katy D.
Experienced Startup Leader | Harvard, Stanford, YCombinator Startup COO

Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business

Works at Impactive
Hiring Manager
Available tomorrow at 4:00 PM UTC
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Katy's Coaching Offerings
Custom hourly
Get help with Conflict Resolution, Change Management, and .
Katy also coaches for MBA, Career Coaching, and Chief of Staff. View all.
Katyās Leadership Coaching Qualifications
Experience level: Executive
10+ people coached for Leadership Coaching
I'm an experienced leader with almost a decade of progressive leadership experience in executive roles in startups and social impact. I'm the COO of a YCombinator-backed startup (a leading Democratic political software company), was previously the Chief of Staff for the same company, and have served as a fractional Chief of Staff for a number of other startups. I've worked directly with numerous CEOs and executive teams, with a range of leadership styles. I've also directly managed many many staff members over the years, many of them managers themselves. My interest in "people science" and leadership is rooted in my undergrad studies in Sociology at Harvard; I focused on organizational sociology with a minor in psychology, intently focused on human behavior at work and how leaders can maximize both performance and empathy. I've gone on to both formally and informally coach a number of leaders - my own direct reports, peers, and many junior staffers taking their first leadership role. I've also worked to develop a formal leadership training course for young leaders in the social impact space. My academic background, lived experience as a Chief of Staff and startup COO, and significant time spent coaching and mentoring, are the pillars of my coaching expertise. My leadership coaching mentality is rooted in listening/empathy, frank and direct feedback, and actionable advice that can lead to tangible progress in your particular leadership goal.
Katy can help with:
Conflict Resolution
Change Management
Ethical Leadership
Diversity and Inclusion
Problem Solving
Emotional Intelligence
Coaching and Mentoring
Time Management
Innovation and Creativity
Katy also coaches for MBA, Career Coaching, and Chief of Staff. View all.
About Katy
š I grew up in Spokane, WA in a suburban, middle-class family; my dreams came true when I was admitted to Harvard for undergrad. š I studied Sociology at Harvard, with strong interests in both politics and tech/startups. š» 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). š² I'm an incoming MBA student at Stanford GSB, exploring what comes next for me in politics, tech, startups, sports, and/or media. ā¤ļø I'm also the Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Youth Leadership Council, and a Board of Directors member for TeenTix. š¶ 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)