Katie Manning.

I am a Mission Driven Entrepreneur and Designer.

Less than 1 year.

I was born in Philly and grew up in South Jersey. I've lived everywhere from Savannah to Hong Kong, Seattle to Charleston - but these days Boston's my home. When I came to Boston, it didn't take me long to realize how much of a gem this city really is. There are so many places to explore, even if you're just walking around town one day - but also all the fresh pasta in the North End is a big bonus!

I'm inspired by projects that give back to society and make life easier for people. I have solved complex problems in fields such as autonomous vehicles, international business licensing, and cryptocurrency. My favorite part of the design process is the initial discovery phase, where I can explore various paths to create concepts that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

I still have a full-time design job at a creative agency that fuels my creativity and allows me to work with inspiring and kind people every day.

My entrepreneurial pursuits stemmed from the personal problems I strived to find solutions for. Beyond Believed is a digital healing companion and personalized quiz finder. Finding support after my assault was an online scavenger hunt. I wanted to curate a resource that would alleviate that stress from fellow survivors.

My latest venture is, Sóbráilte, which means sober in Irish Gaelic. Sóbráilte will be Boston's first alcohol-free bottle shop! As a sober individual it can be hard to find alcohol-free alternatives locally. Our mission is to bring alcohol-free craft cocktails, options, and alternatives to the greater Boston public through a primely-located brick & mortar retail store. Sóbráilte isn't just retail, it's the first-to-market gathering place for the sober and sober-curious community.

I've gotten DM's from people who shared their connection to Beyond Believed or Sóbráilte. They're all very heartfelt messages and make me glad that I could create an open community for them to share their stories.

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In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs. It is such a powerful book to return to and read inspiring stories.

I use Notion for planning everything and anything, but especially work-related tasks. And I can't forget to keep using Toggle's app to remind me how much time I'm spending on activities so that I can stay productive all day long!

Beyond Believed won two Anthem Awards! Presented by The Webby Awards, the Anthem Awards celebrate the purpose and mission-driven work of individuals, companies, and organizations worldwide. With nearly 2,5000 submissions from 36 countries around the world and 10,000 reviews from the Academy, we are among the finalists in two categories! (a) Product, Innovation, or Service Categories - Innovation; (b) Community Engagement Categories - Young Leader of the Year

Additional notable finalists include: The New York Times The 1619 Project, Innocence Project, NAACP, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, AirBnB, The Solutions Project, Color of Change, National Geographic, The American Red Cross, and many more.

Beyond Believed is a company I run completely by myself and it is a huge honor to be among these inspiring finalists.

The only opinions of you that matter come from the people that matter to you.

I spend a lot of time at Tatte or playing with my dog at the Commons.

I really love musicals. I think most people would be shocked to learn how much I know word-for-word from Wicked, Hamilton, or Legally Blonde The Musical.