Leading Ladies 2018: Katie Schibler Conn

“When I was in Mongolia living on a yak farm, I felt a calling to return to Rhode Island,” says Katie Schibler Conn. “Forty eight hours after landing, I started what has become KSA Marketing + Partnerships.”

Before setting out on her adventures, she worked at integrated marketing agencies on the East and West Coasts, and was recruited by PlayStation to lead their marketing and partnerships team. “PlayStation was my dream job, yet the late nights and travel schedule left me wanting more,” she says. “I booked a one-way ticket to Peru and took a year off to backpack around the world. Nine months later I found myself in Mongolia, way off the grid, traveling by horse, living in a $10 tent and surviving on a diet of mutton and ramen noodles.”

When she returned to the U.S., Pepsi called and asked for help on a project. Then PlayStation. “Those projects led to other referrals, so I hired a bookkeeper and admin to keep up,” Katie says. Seven years later, KSA has a wonderful “HQ” in the oldest building in Warwick with a growing staff of seven.

“Time in Mongolia and other developing countries instilled my appreciation for simplicity, authenticity and opportunity,” she explains. “These values are how I built a marketing firm that maintains contracts with a mix of giant global brands as well as non-profit and community organizations, including Gloria Gemma, LIFEcycle, BoldrDash and more. Everything at KSA is rooted in passion and partnerships (and superheroes).”

KSA Marketing + Partnerships

3351 Post Rd., Warwick | 681-4900