I Build What Early-Stage Organizations Need Most.

Operations. Partnerships. Programs. The infrastructure that lets great founders do their best work.

Welcome. I'm glad you're here.

I'm Kate Drane, founder of KDG Advisory Services. For 15+ years, I've worked alongside founders, investors, and leadership teams at some of the most interesting early-stage organizations in tech, venture, and climate. I help them build the systems, relationships, and operating rhythm that turn strategy into momentum.

My work lives at the intersection of strategy, execution and ecosystem. I've mobilized $90M+ in capital for 600+ entrepreneurs, launched fellowship and accelerator programs from scratch, built investor engagement platforms, and served as the operational backbone for startups navigating critical growth moments.

If you're building something important and need a trusted partner to help you execute it, I'd love to connect. If you're evaluating candidates for an executive operator role, I'd love to connect on that, too.

The Operator Behind the Build.

I founded KDG Advisory Services after 15 years of doing one thing exceptionally well: stepping into early-stage organizations during their most important moments and building what they needed to grow.

I've been a Chief of Staff, Director of Engagement, Head of Growth, Director of Fellowship Experience, and Operations Lead. Different titles, same core identity. I'm the person who makes the vision executable. I bring structure to ambiguity, relationships to rooms that need them, and follow-through to the work that matters most.

A few things I'm proud to have built:

At Indiegogo, I created the hardware and technology vertical from the ground up. I helped 600+ global entrepreneurs raise more than $90M on the platform and became the company's top salesperson for six consecutive quarters. I also built the Go Team program, a structured support offering that 175 companies opted into for access to marketing, press, mentorship, and business development.

At Techstars, I built the corporate partner program connecting Fortune 500 partners to portfolio founders. I trained a team of eight engagement managers and produced the first Techstars Sustainability Summit, bringing together 600+ investors, mentors, and ecosystem partners in the climate innovation space.

At Breakthrough Energy, I designed and launched the Fellows Program from scratch. It was a global initiative that recruited 12 early-stage climate tech founders and guided them through a full fellowship and commercialization pathway, including curriculum design, mentor matching, and performance tracking.

At Raise Green, I led the investor side of a two-sided climate investment marketplace. I built engagement frameworks, dashboards, and outreach strategies that drove $500K+ in investment from accredited investors and family offices.

Today, through KDG Advisory, I partner with early-stage companies and venture funds as a fractional Chief of Staff, COO-adjacent leader, or strategic operator. I work best with founders and executive teams doing something genuinely ambitious who need a trusted partner to help them execute with clarity, speed, and care.

I'm based in San Francisco. I hold an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School and a BA in Journalism from Butler University.

How We Work Together

KDG Advisory Services offers a range of engagements to meet the needs of every client. Have something else in mind? We're happy to work with you to create a custom quote.

  • Your trusted operator. Your force multiplier.

    You're moving fast and making high-stakes decisions. I step in as a Chief of Staff or COO-adjacent partner. I design the operating cadence, decision frameworks, and cross-functional systems that let you move with confidence instead of chaos.

    This looks like: OKR design and facilitation, budget build-out, executive communications, cross-team coordination, meeting rhythms, and behind-the-scenes problem solving.

    Best fit for: Seed to Series A founders, CEOs navigating growth or transition, leadership teams building infrastructure for the first time

  • From concept to cohort, built to deliver.

    I design and launch programs that create real, measurable outcomes for founders and participants. Fellowship programs. Accelerator operations. Mentor networks. Investor engagement series. Flagship convenings. I've built all of these from scratch and I know how to move quickly without sacrificing quality or founder experience.

    This looks like: program architecture, curriculum design, partner and mentor recruitment, operational systems and playbooks, and facilitation from launch through delivery.

    Best fit for: Venture funds building platform offerings, accelerators scaling their programs, mission-driven organizations serving early-stage founders

  • The relationships that open doors, built intentionally.

    Pipeline, credibility, and deal flow don't happen by accident. I build strategic partnerships with VCs, accelerators, corporate partners, and community organizations that create durable, compounding value over time. I bring a deep network across the Bay Area startup and climate innovation ecosystem and a track record of turning relationships into measurable outcomes.

    This looks like: partner mapping and outreach, co-programming and co-marketing, referral network development, and stakeholder engagement strategies tailored to your goals.

    Best fit for: Early-stage companies seeking BD leverage, funds building LP or portfolio company networks, platforms building referral ecosystems

  • The infrastructure that makes investors say yes.

    A great pitch gets you in the room. A well-built data room, a clear operating story, and the right investor relationships close the round. I help founders prepare the full picture. I build the systems, materials, and engagement strategies that sophisticated investors want to see. I also connect founders to the capital partners best aligned with their stage and thesis.

    This looks like: data room build-out, investor mapping, engagement frameworks, narrative development, and operational readiness assessments ahead of a raise.

    Best fit for: Seed-stage founders preparing for institutional rounds, climate-focused companies, two-sided platforms, and mission-driven organizations seeking aligned capital

Let's Build Something Together.

Whether you're looking for a consulting partner or evaluating me for a full-time role, I'd love to have a conversation.