Kathleen Hale

Kathleen is an entrepreneur and investor focused on helping to find, incubate, and grow ideas for solving our greatest challenges. As a Partner and founding team member of Builders + Backers, Kathleen leads the Idea and Venture Development Team, working with hundreds of early-stage Builders to turn their ideas into ventures. To date, this team has deployed nearly $1.5M in funding to over 400 Builders.

As an investor, Kathleen focuses on early-stage startups developing technologies that disrupt to democratize. Her angel investments focus on her interest and experience in consumer goods, outdoor recreation, and logistics.

Previously Kathleen has founded and grown multiple consumer products companies, including one of the earliest treadmill and standing desks companies in the US. She helped to take these companies from idea to manufacturing, e-commerce and retail success, and licenses with international brands.

Prior to launching her first e-commerce business, Kathleen was an accomplished attorney and founding partner of a law firm. She served clients of all sizes and helping to secure tens of millions of dollars in judgments for them.

Kathleen is an experienced public speaker who has been featured at conferences around the U.S. and abroad. Her articles and interviews have appeared in FastCompany, Tech.Co, PBS, Forbes.com and Livestrong.com.