Ventures

Business

Kat Garcia (Kathleen Garcia-Manjarres) is a venture builder and storyteller operating at the intersection of creativity and strategy. At BCG Digital Ventures (Boston Consulting Group's venture arm), she worked with Fortune 500 companies and early-stage founders to incubate, launch, and scale innovative startups. Her work spanned fintech, healthtech, and consumer goods—leading go-to-market strategy, commercial development, and business model design. She helped bring to life ventures like Spin by OXXO, the “Venmo of Latin America”; Nota by M&T Bank, a financial platform for solo lawyers; and new B2B products for American Express. She also advised EssilorLuxottica on content and brand strategy. Her ability to translate white space into tangible business outcomes made her a key bridge between product, brand, and executive leadership.

Prior to BCGDV, Garcia was a Management Consultant at Accenture, where she advised Fortune 500 clients including UBS Wealth Management, Cisco Systems, and others on digital transformation, customer experience, and operating model design. Earlier in her career, she worked in digital advertising in Vancouver. She also supported a major M&A negotiation while working in corporate finance with the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Beyond consulting and venture building, Garcia is a published writer and thought leader. She has contributed to Forbes, TechCrunch, and The Globe and Mail, and co-authored a widely recognized Forbes articles with Professor Karl Moore of McGill University. The piece drew praise from Suits actor Gabriel Macht, author Malcolm Gladwell, and academic Henry Mintzberg. In 2016, she received the Prix Fierté Latino-Américaine, awarded to a young woman of Colombian origin who has demonstrated leadership and entrepreneurial spirit in her community.

Building Ground AI

In building her startup, she became 1 of just 90 women in the U.S. to raise over $1M in venture funding. Navigating a space historically closed off to women of color, Garcia scaled her company profitably through founder-led sales - proving that instinct, storytelling, and sharp execution can outperform convention. Her journey reflects a commitment to challenging norms, championing diverse voices, and building companies that break the mold.4o