Katie Bouton is on a mission to revolutionize the entrepreneurial ecosystem. With over two decades of dynamic experience as a trailblazing Serial Founder, Investor, and Strategist, she is fearlessly forging a new economic paradigm—one that propels access, opportunity, and ownership into the hands of Entrepreneurs of Color and Female Founders. By boldly prioritizing equity and inclusion, she is not just shaping the present but sculpting a future where business opportunities radiate with the promise of generational impact.

As the visionary Founder of Tavo, Bouton has developed an innovative investment and resource platform dedicated to dismantling the systemic barriers that have historically sidelined People of Color and Women within the entrepreneurial landscape. Tavo embodies Bouton’s unyielding commitment to dismantling entrenched funding disparities, ensuring access, opportunities, and resources flow freely to systematically marginalized entrepreneurs. Symbolizing a nexus of creativity and collaboration, Tavo stands as a beacon guiding a new era of businesses poised to redefine the very essence of entrepreneurship.

Bouton’s professional journey is a testament to her unwavering dedication to forging new paths to ownership and success. Her groundbreaking work has earned her esteemed recognition as a finalist for National Entrepreneur of the Year, a Smart CEO, and an Emerging Leader. Her influential thought leadership, showcased in prestigious platforms such as the Harvard Business Review, passionately advocates for the vital importance of diversity and the inclusion of multifaceted perspectives in driving organizational excellence.

Through her previous venture, Koya Partners, Bouton revolutionized executive search for mission-driven organizations, catalyzing a significant shift towards diversity in leadership with 70% of placements for People of Color. Her success in diversifying decision-makers has fortified leadership teams and propelled sustainable growth for countless organizations. Following her 15-year journey, Bouton steered her company to acquisition by Diversified Search Group (DSG), the world’s largest woman-founded and led executive search firm. Following this milestone, she became President at DSG, where she continues to serve as on the Board and as a Senior Advisor.

As Co-Chair of the Sustainability Advisory Board at the University of New Hampshire, and as a mentor at Harvard Innovation Labs, Bouton fervently cultivates the next generation of leaders. While her tireless dedication to societal change and her relentless promotion of diversity in leadership is further evidenced by her involvement with impactful nonprofits like The Home for Little Wanderers and IGNITE.

Bouton’s formative experiences in Human Resources laid the groundwork for Bouton’s lifelong advocacy, illuminating the intricate dynamics of cultivating inclusive workplaces and the transformative power of diversity on organizational culture. These foundational years have profoundly shaped her leadership ethos, igniting a fervent passion for promoting equitable practices and representation on a global scale.

Bouton’s educational journey, including a Master’s in Human Resource Development from Towson University and a Bachelor’s in English & Women’s Studies from the University of New Hampshire, seamlessly complements her professional trajectory. And as a distinguished Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Executive Fellow, Executive Fellow for Business Equity for the Boston Foundation, and Pipeline Fellow, her visionary leadership transcends mere equity; it aspires to empower a future where representation is the cornerstone of collective success.

For Bouton, diversity isn’t just talk—it’s action. It drives lasting change, aiming for a future where ownership builds wealth and legacies. Her commitment goes beyond transformation; it’s a pledge to embed equity and empowerment as our foundation for shared prosperity.