At Chatham Hall, Kate was a standout student and leader, serving on Honor Council, guiding prospective students as a COE, and earning both the Science Department Award and the Rensselaer Medal. She later earned a degree in Commerce from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Duke University Fuqua School of Business, where she was named a University Scholar.

After beginning her career in technology strategy consulting, Kate joined Microsoft as a Cloud Solution Architect before moving to Google in 2021. She quickly advanced into leadership roles in AI and machine learning, while also contributing nationally recognized research on vaccine hesitancy shared at the G7 Summit and speaking at the AI Expo for National Competitiveness.

Passionate about empowering others, Kate mentors early-career women in tech and supports leadership development programs for women in AI. Outside of work, she volunteers at a Chicago animal shelter, fosters rescue dogs, and regularly donates blood through the American Red Cross.

With deep Chatham Hall roots and a commitment to innovation, service, and leadership, Kate exemplifies what it means to live a life without limitations. We are proud to recognize Katherine Leigh “Kate” Thomas ’08 as this year’s Leader on the Rise.