Starkhorn

Directing large-scale PE backed IT integration projects across multiple countries, standardising operations, streamlining processes, and managing complex IT infrastructures to achieve significant cost savings and efficiency gains.

Collaborated with C-suite executives on IT due diligence, post-merger integration, and the creation of scalable operating models, delivering measurable synergies and enhanced portfolio value.

Developed and executed bespoke IT strategies for private equity clients, ensuring alignment with business goals, operational scalability, and long-term growth through innovative technology solutions.

Offering consultancy, fractional support, and expertise in M&A, Divestments, Outsourcing and Private Equity.

Founder

Age UK

Non Executive IT Director - Digital and Technology

Jardine Motors Group trading as Lancaster

Spearheaded IT due diligence for a £300m transaction, enabling the seamless sale of Jardine Motors to Lithia & Driveway.

Supported the £400m acquisition of Pendragon PLC, integrating IT systems to establish Lithia UK, driving operational synergies.

Achieved £1m+ annual savings by centralising telephony systems, enhancing customer service.

Designed and executed a cybersecurity framework, achieving a NIST CSF maturity score of 29.

Chief Information Officer

Mothercare

As Head of IT Service Delivery & Infrastructure, I led seamless IT service delivery across 150 UK stores, franchises, head office, e-commerce, and warehouses. Aligning IT with business objectives, I enhanced efficiency and drove innovation.

Head of IT Service Delivery & Infrastructure

IT Service Delivery Manager

IT Technical Services Manager

IT Technical Support Manager

VisitBritain

Technical Support/Infrastructure Analyst

2nd Line Engineer at VisitBritain

Fractional CIO | IT Strategy for High-Stakes M&A | Faster M&A, Smoother Exits | De-risking IT & unlocking value | Author

If IT isn’t creating enterprise value, it’s destroying it. Most firms still treat IT as a cost centre. Growth-focused companies can’t afford that mistake. I help CEOs, CFOs, boards, and investors turn IT into a value-creation engine — accelerating deals, de-risking operations, and boosting EBITDA.

Proven Results

✓ £1.6m in savings within 18 months across 10+ countries
✓ Seamless IT integrations in £300m+ and £400m+ transactions
✓ 40% fewer outages across 150+ retail locations
✓ Cybersecurity resilience with NIST maturity scores above industry benchmarks

Why Clients Choose Me

✓ Fractional CIO flexibility — strategic leadership without full-time overhead
✓ Interim CIO firepower — execution in high-stakes transformations
✓ Board-level insight — translating IT complexity into clear business impact

Whether you’re scaling a mid-sized firm or leading a multi-country enterprise, IT should fuel growth, protect assets, and support scale. If it isn’t, it’s silently eroding value.

I am currently accepting 2 more clients in 2025 (Fractional, Interim, or Advisory).
DM me or book a call to explore how IT can become your competitive edge.

Daniel J. Jacobs

Wife & Mother of 7 | Venture Capital | Scientist | TOP 30 Patent Drafters | United States Patent Examiner | Violinist | Polyglot | STEM Children's Author | #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law

Kathryn Vatt is a scientist, former USPTO Examiner, and devoted wife and mother of seven, with over 25 years shaping the future of innovation. Recognized as one of the Top 30 Patent Drafters and Prosecutors and the #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law, Kathryn has built a career at the intersection of science, law, and business—helping inventors, startups, and global companies turn creativity into competitive advantage.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.S. Biology) and Johns Hopkins University (M.S. Biotechnology), Kathryn is currently pursuing her Juris Doctor in Patent Law at the Franklin Pierce School of Law, one of the world’s leading IP programs. Her rare cross-disciplinary background gives her both the scientific insight and the legal strategy to protect ideas at the highest level.

At the USPTO, Kathryn examined thousands of patent applications, conducted exhaustive prior art searches, and made determinations that shaped industries and influenced global innovation. After leaving the Patent Office, she founded Vatt IP Management, where she develops bulletproof IP strategies, drafts airtight applications, and supports litigation teams in defending patents. She also mentors engineering and life science students through Arizona State University’s Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute and judges international startup competitions, nurturing the next generation of innovators.

Her entrepreneurial vision extends to her ventures:

My Startup Shield™, a founder-focused program that helps startups secure their innovations before they pitch. It protects ideas at the earliest, most vulnerable stage and positions founders to raise capital with confidence

My AI Examiner™, the world’s first proprietary patent search platform that combines examiner-trained AI Patent Examiners with Kathryn’s own human review. Unlike conventional tools, it doesn’t just search faster—it “thinks like an examiner,” offering inventors and startups clarity, precision, and strategy.

MyKidVentors™, a STEM-inspired children’s book series born from her seven children’s real “What if?” questions. Through these imaginative stories, she nurtures curiosity in the next generation, showing that every big invention begins with a single question.

For Kathryn, the same motherly instinct that guides her family fuels her professional mission: to protect, guide, and nurture startups with care, strategy, foresight, and integrity. She believes innovation doesn’t just start in labs or boardrooms—it starts in the curious minds of those brave enough to ask, “What if?”

Kathryn V.

FINDING YOUR BEAU


Founders don’t burn out because they’re weak.
They burn out because they care deeply…
because they carry the weight of a dream
long before anyone else can see it.

And sometimes the way back
isn’t to grind harder
or push through the exhaustion...
it’s to let something new in.

A fresh idea.
A different perspective.
A person or moment that brings light back into the work
and reminds you why you started.

You are not done.
You are not fading.
You’re simply waiting for your spark to find you again.

And it will...
often in a way you never saw coming. 💛

THE MAGICAL CHAIR


In a quiet salon somewhere in the world, a hairstylist welcomes women into his chair...
women who have carried life on their shoulders,
women who deserve to feel beautiful without needing a reason.

And with gentle hands and genuine kindness,
he transforms them.

Not just their hair…
them.

You can see it in their faces:
the way their eyes suddenly shine,
the smile that takes over their whole expression,
the way they sit a little taller, remembering a version of themselves they thought they had lost.

And something beautiful happens next…
their joy reflects right back into him.

He lights up.
He laughs.
He gets emotional right along with them…
because their joy becomes his joy.
It is pure, contagious happiness...the kind that can only come from lifting someone else.

He’s not just doing makeovers.
He’s restoring confidence.
He’s offering dignity.
He’s reminding people of their own light.

All through kindness.
All through care.
All through choosing to make someone else’s day a little brighter.

And maybe that’s today’s lesson:
We all have the power to change someone’s life…
not by doing something big,
but by helping them see the beauty they forgot was theirs.


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SPOIL THE WAG DAY

Today is Thankful For My Dog Day...
a day that asks us to pause
and really feel the quiet, steady love
that our dogs bring into our lives.

Because it’s easy to move through our days
and miss the little things they do...
the small gestures that speak louder
than any words ever could.

Like the way they greet us at the door
as if we’re a gift they’ve been waiting for.
Or the way they curl up beside us
when our heart is heavier than we’re willing to admit.
Or how they watch us...
really watch us...
with eyes that seem to say,
“I’m here. You’re not alone.”

Dogs love with a purity
that asks for nothing but presence in return.
They sit with us in our silence.
They celebrate with us in our joy.
They somehow know
when to nudge us outside for fresh air,
and when to press their head into our lap
because they sense we need grounding.

They don’t care about our accomplishments.
They don’t measure our worth.
They simply choose us,
every single day,
in the simplest, most beautiful ways.

And that’s what makes this day matter.
It’s a chance to honor the companion
who teaches us what loyalty really looks like,
what unconditional love truly feels like,
and how healing it can be
to be understood without needing to speak.

So today, do something extra for your sweet pup...
a longer walk,
a special treat,
a gentle brushing,
a moment of stillness where you just sit together.

Because our dogs give us
their whole heart,
their whole presence,
their whole life.

And being thankful for them
is the easiest thing in the world. 🐾💛



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NON-ARTIFICIAL STEPPING STOOLS


I read a great Substack today, Unicorn Parents, and I couldn’t agree more with David Y.: in a world racing toward AI, the thing that will matter most for our children is what makes them beautifully, unmistakably human.

Not their speed.
Not their efficiency.
Not their ability to compete with machines.

But their ability to love.
To serve.
To lead with heart.

And then I saw this video and it felt like the perfect illustration of that truth.

A little girl is washing her hands at the kitchen sink…and you suddenly realize why she can reach it:
Her older brother is already on the floor beneath her,
quietly acting as her stepping stool,
holding still so she can stand on his back without falling.

Then another brother walks in, sees what’s happening,
and immediately drops to the ground beside him…
positioning himself so that when she steps down,
she’ll land safely on his back too.

Then they switch.
They laugh.
They treat her tiny struggle like a chance to lift someone they love, literally.

It’s playful.
It’s innocent.
And it’s the kind of kindness that takes your breath away.

Because this is something no machine can ever replicate:
The instinct to serve without being asked.
The joy of helping someone else rise.
The quiet pride of being the reason someone feels safe, supported, and seen.

AI might shape the future of work.
But our children...the way they care for each other and the communities they build...
that is what will shape the future of the world. 💛

Check out David Y.'s full article here: https://lnkd.in/g75sVRfe

If you haven’t followed David Y.’s work before, treat this as your invitation.
I love how he describes Unicorn Parents:

“Each week, I share practical insights and reflections to help you build a profitable business without missing the magic at home. If you’re serious about winning at work while raising great kids, you’ve come to the right place. This is a community built for ambitious parents who want both.”

It’s rare to find someone who understands the reality of building something meaningful at work while nurturing something even more meaningful at home. Thank you, David Y. 🙏 

------
If you enjoy my posts please follow me:
Kathryn V.
VATT IP Management
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CONES OF LOVE


It’s recess time...
and while most kids run toward the playground,
a teacher walks toward one child.

Gently, he lifts him from his wheelchair
and helps him sit in a chair to begin their practice.

Step by step, they move together...
weaving through cones, building strength, building courage.

And when the boy reaches him on his own,
he falls into his teacher’s arms…
a hug filled with trust, pride, and pure joy.

But what makes this scene just as powerful
is what’s happening around them.

The other children gather close.
They witness compassion in action.
They see what patience looks like.
They learn what love can do.

And without a single lecture or lesson plan,
this teacher is shaping them too...
quietly teaching kindness, empathy, and the truth that every person deserves a chance to rise.

Because sometimes the most powerful lessons
don’t happen at a desk or in a book…
they happen in moments like this.

One teacher.
One child.
One act of love that changes everyone who sees it. 💛


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If you enjoy my posts please follow me:
Kathryn V.
VATT IP Management
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NO MORE POOL WATER


With Thanksgiving just days away,
I find myself thinking about the people
who make this world softer, safer, and more beautiful
just by the way they choose to love.

People like the couple in this video.
They didn’t walk past suffering.
They didn’t turn away because it was inconvenient,
or because they were on vacation,
or because helping would take time and effort and heart.

They saw a life that needed them...
and they stepped in.
They cared when they didn’t have to.
They stayed when it got hard.
They fought for a little dog
who had no one else to fight for her.

They crossed countries,
sat through vet visits,
endured uncertainty,
and carried her through treatments
that would have scared most people away.

Not for recognition.
Not for praise.
Just because compassion whispered,
“Do something,”
and they listened.

It’s easy to talk about love.
It’s easy to talk about kindness.
But living it...
especially when it costs you time, comfort, and ease...
that is something sacred.

And today,
I am thankful for people like this.
People who choose empathy.
People who open their hearts wide.
People who make room for the vulnerable,
the hurting,
the overlooked.

They are the quiet heroes among us.
The ones who remind us that goodness still wins.
The ones who show us what love looks like in action.

As we continue into this week of gratitude,
may we notice them.
May we celebrate them.
And may we strive to be more like them...
people who don’t just pass through the world,
but leave a trace of kindness wherever they go. 🧡🐾


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If you enjoy my posts please follow me:
Kathryn V.
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✨ Founder Friday Spotlight: Kevin Jurovich ✨

Today I want to highlight someone who represents everything this series is meant to celebrate: courage, reinvention, resilience, integrity, and the kind of leadership you don’t just notice…you feel the moment he walks into a room.

Kevin Jurovich.

He is the person founders call when the noise gets too loud, the pressure gets too high, and the path forward feels impossible. The person who helps you breathe again. The one who guides people through big decisions not with ego, but with grounded wisdom and the kind of kindness you can see in his eyes.

And he took that instinct...that rare ability to steady others...and built something extraordinary from it.

That “something” is Hubble.
A platform reshaping how startup due diligence, fundraising, and investor-founder trust actually works.
Not performatively.
Not theoretically.
But practically.
Systematically.
Intelligently.
Humanely.

If you’re a founder, you need to know what Hubble is doing.
If you’re an investor, you can’t afford not to.

But what makes Kevin stand out...what makes him someone truly exceptional...isn’t just what he’s building.

It’s who he is.

A founder with heart.
A leader with humility.
A thinker who listens before he speaks.
A builder who cares deeply about the people he serves.
A human who shows up for others again and again, even when he doesn’t have to.

The founder journey isn’t linear. It’s filled with highs, lows, pivots, and pressure…
but how you show up for people can stay steady.
And Kevin shows up every single time.

If you want to see what real grit, real vision, and real integrity look like in a founder...explore what he’s building at Hubble.

Some people build companies.
Some build movements.
Kevin is building both.

Here’s to extraordinary humans building extraordinary things.
Happy Founder Friday, Kevin. It’s an absolute honor to know you and be part of the incredible community you’re building. ✨

THE MAGIC OF MEETING IN REAL LIFE

There’s something special about meeting someone you’ve only ever known through screens:
the messages, the Zoom calls, the Slack threads...
and then suddenly, there they are… right in front of you.

That was my Sunday with Sasha from Hubble. 💛

We were supposed to meet earlier this week at a Hubble meetup,
but schedules got in the way
(and yes…I was so bummed to miss her while she was visiting from London).

After Thanksgiving, I checked in...
“Are you still in AZ?”
She was.
She leaves Monday.
And just like that, we planned a little coffee walk.

What I thought would be a short visit
turned into hours of talking about life,
our journeys,
our dreams,
and of course…how incredible the Hubble community is. 😊

And here’s the thing:
It’s no surprise she’s Hubble’s Head of Community.
Sasha makes you feel cared for the second you meet her.
Warm, thoughtful, deeply present...
she embodies everything community is supposed to feel like.

Just look at this sweet handwritten card from Sasha and the Hubble team.
Yes, handwritten.
Old-school.
Intentional.
The kind of gesture that says,
“I see you. I appreciate you.”

There are big things that make the Hubble community special...
the platform, the vision, the mission...

And then there are little things.
The impromptu meetups.
The unexpected kindness.
The way people within this network make you feel at home.
Sasha does that effortlessly.

Feeling grateful today for community, connection,
and the beautiful real-world friendships that start online
and only get richer in person.

Thank you, Sasha Cayward.
My heart is full. 💕

THE THANKSGIVING LINE-UP

Today, homes everywhere are filling with familiar scenes:
the cool cousins, the football fans, the honorary chefs,
the picky eaters, the Black Friday planners,
the ones keeping the kids entertained,
and the uncle who always ends up in a food coma before dessert.

Thanksgiving has a way of gathering all the characters we love.
And I hope this video makes you laugh…
a little humor, a lot of personality,
and a reminder that family, in all its beautiful chaos,
is something to be grateful for.

But holidays hold many stories.

For some, today is full of laughter.
For others, it’s a quieter kind of day.
Maybe someone you love isn’t at the table this year.
Maybe you’re missing a voice, a chair, a presence.
Maybe this holiday feels different…or a little heavier.

Wherever you are:
in a full, lively home,
in a peaceful, quiet one,
or somewhere in between…
I hope today brings you something gentle:
a warm moment,
a good laugh,
or a memory that makes you smile.

I’m especially grateful today for the friendships born right here on LinkedIn.
The serendipitous connections,
the kind messages,
the “small-world” moments that turned strangers
into mentors, supporters, and friends.

This community has brought some of the kindest, brightest souls into my life,
and I’m thankful for every conversation,
every encouragement,
every bit of humanity we’ve shared along the way.

Wishing you a day filled with love, grace, gratitude,
and the reminder that your presence matters…
today and always.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends. 🧡


------
If you enjoy my posts please follow me:
Kathryn V.
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🌟 FOUNDER FRIDAY: Michele Costa of GoSadi

Some meetings just feel meant to be.

Thanks to our amazing mutual friend, Bettina Briz (who truly has a gift for connecting the right people at the right time), I finally got to meet Michele in person. 

From the moment we started talking, it felt effortless.
Then came the most unexpected surprise:
our shared connection to Naperville.

We both lit up talking about Anderson’s Bookshop
and, of course, Two Bostons...
the happiest dog treat store on earth.
It made the world feel wonderfully small in the best possible way.

Michele is the co-founder of GoSadi, a platform helping fiber artists create, sell, and organize without getting tangled in tech - but what struck me most wasn’t just what she’s building.

It was her.
Her warmth.
Her kindness.
Her energy that somehow leaves you feeling lighter, inspired, and excited about what’s possible.

After our meeting, she sent me the sweetest message about our Naperville connection being “serendipitous.”
And she was right.

Because this work we do isn’t just about building things.
It’s about the people we meet along the way...
the unexpected threads (pun intended 😉 ) that connect us, and
the communities that form in the spaces between.

Michele is one of those people who makes the world brighter simply by being in it. I’m grateful our paths crossed, and I can’t wait to cheer on everything she’s creating. 

Here's a special Two Bostons video…
just for you, Michele. 🐾💛

taplio

The Battle

Daniel J. Jacobs

Kathryn V.

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The Battle

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Kathryn V.'s LinkedIn Performance

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