Ep 4. Katie Noonan from being a Lawyer to democratising access to learning with Forage.

Calling Operator

In this episode, we cover:

(01:09) Katie's background, strong opinioned child to Law grad

(02:32) Moving to the NT to work with indigenous communities

(04:51) Taking a job at Indigenous Business Australia and discovering pitching and partnerships

(08:06) Joining Startmate women's fellowship as due diligence on the ecosystem

(10:11) Outreach hesitation and the first meeting with Forage's founder, Tom Brunskill

(15:08) All about Forage's mission and work

(19:01) Navigating ambiguity, being comfortable with pivoting and getting comfortable that some things don't work out.

(23:34) Jumping around a lot but approaching every job from the mindset of a CEO

(26:23) Pitching a new role within a business.

(31:34) Opportunities that come out of growth and moving to the US

(33:35) How Katie operates

(38:16) Being impressed by Startmates women's fellowship and the willingness to give back.

(40:13) The power of narrative (over non-fiction writing)

(41:03) How surfing is a metaphor for start-ups, riding the wave and being humbled (and how she's dealing with a lack of surfing in NYC!)

(43:43) Katie's vision for the future, both personally and for Forage.

Never miss an episode. Subscribe on your favourite platform:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• (Other) CallingOperator.com

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator 2.0 is to open-source stories with world-class operators and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people tackling similar challenges. I want this podcast to open a line for operators to learn from each other, offer support, and celebrate successes together.
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? I can't wait to learn about them. Contact me via LinkedIn.