Kathy Steele

About Kathy Steele

Kathleen (Kathy) Steele is a visionary leader and entrepreneur with over thirty years of corporate strategy, branding, marketing, and technology expertise. As an operating executive, consultant, founder, and board member, she advises executives on innovative growth, brand, and talent management strategies that drive shareholder value while protecting reputational risk and improving customer and employee engagement.Currently, she is the CEO of Red Caffeine, a growth consultancy that builds Grow-to-Market™ strategies for mid-market companies in the manufacturing, technology, professional services, and education sectors with combined revenues exceeding 4 billion. She has advised executives on developing and promoting first-mover technologies, positioning and launching new products and services, changing brand perception to aid business turnaround, and helping organizations with their human capital strategies. Kathleen has successfully guided management of a crafting product from idea to acquisition by the largest strategic player in the space, a technology product launch campaign that led to 80% revenue growth, more than doubling their business, and an award-winning repositioning strategy that reached a global audience, changed negative market perception and drove new customer acquisition. In 2019, Kathy took on the role of a board member at an Online Reputation Management SaaS company, bringing her diverse perspective and strategic acumen to help steer the company toward a successful exit. She is a notable speaker and author on employee experience, growth planning, branding, and marketing. She has delivered keynote presentations and workshops at the Gathering of Games, the Women in Manufacturing Summit, Compference, Inc. Conference, and hosts a live webcast called Business as “Un”usual. Kathleen has been recognized for numerous industry and entrepreneurial awards, including the Inc Enterprising Woman of the Year, James Tyree Emerging Business Leadership, Entrepreneurial Excellence, and Business Excellence. She is relentlessly passionate about great causes, donating her time and expertise to industry groups and non-profit organizations. She was an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) for Future Founders, a Business Advisor on DePaul’s Kellstadt Marketing Group (KMG), an Executive Council Member for the Executive Breakfast Club, and Chicago’s Local Group Leader for the Small Giants Community.

Experience

1. Founder & CEO

   Red Caffeine A Growth Consultancy

   Nov 2013 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

   Red Caffeine is a Growth Consultancy whose mission is to build badass brands clients want to work with, and employees want to work for.We develop and execute Grow-to-Market™ plans for ambitious companies who want to build valuation in their business. Using a proven methodology, we help companies focus on their most significant opportunities for growth. The RC service offering includes a fractional team led by a director-level marketing leader, enabling a business to scale rapidly without the cost of hiring a wide range of full-time staff members to move a growth plan forward. Best known for our work on:• Brand Exposure - Grow market share, launch a product, or enter a new vertical• Revenue Generation Systems - Developing a scalable sales process to align integrated marketing to sales goals • Digital Transformation - Digital consulting and custom software to automate manual processes, integrate systems, and innovate for market differentiation• Employer Branding - Defining, empowering, and amplifying purpose-driven cultures with brand assets and campaigns that improve recruiting and employee engagement

Education

• American Academy of Art

  Graphic Design

  1991 — 1993

• Illinois State University

  Psychology

  1983 — 1985

Skills

• Social Media Marketing
• Corporate Branding
• Digital Marketing
• Marketing
• Advertising
• Social Media
• Web Design
• Strategy
• Public Speaking
• Start-Ups
• Art Direction
• Web Applications
• Leadership
• Graphic Design
• E-Commerce
• Digital Media
• Business Development
• Online Marketing
• Marketing Strategy
• Entrepreneurship
• Team Leadership
• Crm
• Newsletters
• Web Developer
• Strategic Planning
• Lead Generation
• New Business Development
• Marketing Communications
• Management
• Email Marketing
• Customer Relationship Management (Crm)