Hi, I’m Katie Manning
I build products, write about culture, and keep too many tabs open.
My work centers on one question: how do people decide whether to trust a technology, product, or brand? I turn that question into concrete product and design decisions — how a system signals credibility, where its guardrails belong, and when it should hand off to a human.
Trust and safety has been the throughline across my work — whether someone’s trusting a self-driving car, an AI-generated answer, or just trying to change their pharmacy without getting lost.
And as founder of Beyond Believed — a 3× Anthem Award–winning trauma-informed AI companion — I defined the use cases, guardrails, and harm-reduction metrics behind a product built for people in crisis.
I believe trust is not a feature but a relationship that must be continually earned.
Teams and projects I've worked on:TEAGUE
Microsoft
Intel
Cigna
Bing
What I'm good atTaking a big pile of inputs — research, opinions, constraints — and turning it into a clear story and a few real options a team can actually move on. I’m a big-picture thinker who still sweats the small details.
What I'm into lately I write Piles of Interest on Substack — field notes on culture, technology, and whatever's currently living in my open tabs. Lately, I've been deep in questions of AI governance and policy: the messy, ambiguous places where technology meets human behavior.
My insatiable curiosity about the world often leads to various late-night rabbit holes like, “Who holds the power to shape our reality?” or the intersection of oracles and divination with technology, or simply losing hours to whatever fiction I am into at the moment.
What's nextI'm looking for my next role in Responsible Tech — product or research shape — where I can help teams build things people can genuinely rely on.
I'm also open to advising startups on a fractional basis, and I always enjoy mentoring, guest lecturing, and talking through responsible-tech questions with anyone else wrestling with them.
Awards & Honors
Title
Organization
Year
Best Use of AI
Anthem Awards
2025
Rising Star Finalist
Women in Innovation
2023
Product Innovation
Anthem Awards
2021
Young Leader of the Year
Anthem Awards
2021
Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle Inno Under 25
2021
let’s work together
Open to work
Looking for a thought partner? Speaker? Mentor? Deck redliner?
Whatever the ask, get in touch — I’d love to hear what you’re working on.
For start-ups
Early-stage and figuring it out as you go? I help with positioning, GTM, and the messy 0-to-1 decisions — as an advisor, a sounding board, or hands-on when you need it.
For fractional and/or freelance work
Need senior help without a full-time hire? I take on fractional and project-based work — strategy stress-testing, research, user testing, or filling a specific gap for a defined stretch.
For students
Trying to break in or figure out your path? I mentor, do portfolio reviews, and take coffee chats. No polished ask required.
For formal consulting
Have a defined scope and budget? I take on structured engagements that may take the form of audits, workshops, or longer-term engagements.