Katharina's Story

Beginnings

I spent nearly a decade at a federal defense agency doing work that, on paper, looked like a successful career: good pay, job security, and a clear path forward. Over time, though, I realized I wanted something more than stability—I wanted the opportunity to build, create, and have greater ownership over my work.

The challenge wasn't the workload; it was the feeling that my creativity and entrepreneurial drive had nowhere to grow. I found myself increasingly drawn to questions of stewardship, entrepreneurship, and what it means to build something that creates lasting value.

Discoveries

That search eventually led me to real estate. What began as curiosity quickly became a vision: a field where business, relationships, and long-term wealth building intersect.

As I reflected on the work that energizes me most, a pattern began to emerge. I've always loved organizing complexity—whether information, workflows, or experiences—into things people can easily understand, navigate, and enjoy. Looking back, that thread had been present all along: in engineering, in federal operations, in UX design, and now in real estate.

My background may seem unconventional, but I've come to see that as a strength. Each experience taught me to approach problems from multiple angles—balancing structure with creativity, efficiency with empathy, and strategy with execution.

That search eventually led me to real estate. What began as curiosity quickly became a vision: a field where business, relationships, and long-term wealth building intersect.

Building Forward

Today, I'm building at the intersection of operations, design, and real estate—creating workflows, systems, and experiences that help businesses run more clearly and efficiently.

Long term, I hope to apply those same principles to real estate investing and boutique hospitality, where thoughtful operations, beautiful spaces, and meaningful experiences come together. I believe businesses should feel calm to operate, and I want to spend my career creating exactly that.

Today, I'm building at the intersection of operations, design, and real estate—creating workflows, systems, and experiences that help businesses run more clearly and efficiently.

My Professional Journey

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Engineering Intern

I joined a federal defense agency through an internship during my final year at UC Davis, working as a foundry operator while completing my engineering degree. What I discovered quickly was that I was more comfortable managing processes and people than operating equipment — and my manager noticed before I even fully articulated it myself.

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Engineering Intern

Chapter 2: The Pivot Within

Acquisition & ISO Auditor

As my technical role stabilized, additional responsibilities accumulated organically. I became the division's micro-purchase officer, managing government purchase card acquisitions and tracking procurement compliance across the team. I was also selected to represent my division in annual ISO 9001:2015 internal audit preparation — conducting 2 to 4 interviews of both working-level staff and management over four years.

Chapter 2: The Pivot Within

Acquisition & ISO Auditor

Chapter 2: The Pivot Within

Acquisition & ISO Auditor

Chapter 3: Contracts & Operations

Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)

I was handed COR responsibilities across approximately 10+ contracts ranging from small acquisitions in the thousands to a flagship manufacturing tool sustainment contract in the low single millions. I drafted RFPs, managed deliverables, maintained compliance documentation, and coordinated DPAS asset tracking across multi-year hardware lifecycles. In 2022 I executed six contracts worth $600,000. In 2023 I supported the establishment of a major IDIQ contract for manufacturing sustainment.

Chapter 3: Contracts & Operations

Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)

Chapter 4: Analyst & Communicator

Program & Management Analyst

In my final chapter at the federal agency, I stepped fully into an analytical and communications role. I compiled and reformatted division performance reports for executive briefings to the Chief of Staff, built and launched the organization's LinkedIn presence from scratch, contributed UX design input to internal and external website redesigns, and served as the lead coordinator for Newsbreak — the organization's annual 100-person cross-divisional event.

Chapter 4: Analyst & Communicator

Program & Management Analyst

Chapter 4: Analyst & Communicator

Program & Management Analyst

Always Learning!

I've come to believe that the more you understand, the better you can build.

University of California, Davis

Bachelor of Science

Electronic Materials Engineering

Minor in Technology Management

Aug 2016

DesignLab

Certificate: UX Academy

UX/UI Designer

Aug 2024

Liberty University

Graduate Certificate

Management & Leadership: Business Administration

May 2026

Life Dashboard

A little snapshot of what's keeping me busy, inspired, and grounded right now.

Currently Building

NV Real Estate License

HubSpot CRM Certification

Digital Products

Currently Into

Improving my Spanish

Volleyball & Golf

Faith-centerd community

Fun Facts

Visited 8 countries

Tea aficionado

Working Genius "IE"

Languages

Fluency is just another form of empathy.

English

Native

Spanish

Conversational

German

Elementary