Kate McNeel grew up in Jackson, and as a child, she spent time chasing mosquito trucks, riding bikes over to Riverside Park and shopping at the Sunflower. After attending St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, she headed west to Stanford University.

She has spent the past 30 years working in the high-tech industry, with 20 of those years working remotely from her home office in Jackson’s Fondren neighborhood, and is currently the global marketing strategy lead for SAP SuccessFactors. Living in Jackson but working in global roles for one of the world’s leading software companies means she has a unique perspective on the impact of technology on our lives, the importance of diversity in decision making, and the challenges of communicating across cultures and backgrounds. As a result, Kate is certain that Mississippi has a wealth of untapped talent that could thrive given the opportunity, and that as a community we have an absolutely unique voice that needs to be heard.

She and her husband, Pleasant McNeel, have successfully launched one child into the working world, with the second currently finishing out her junior year in college, connecting remotely with her professors at Reed College in Portland, Ore. When not under lockdown due to global pandemics, Kate spends time at CrossFit Jxn, enjoys cooking and is on a quest to find the perfect $12 bottle of red wine.