Kate Lyon

Kate Lyon (’05 psychology) never imagined that her psychology degree would be the catalyst for successfully creating and managing new companies. But that is, indeed, the case.

Kate is co-founder and chief operating officer of Koloni Inc., a business-to-business platform that enables companies to program and manage smart locker rentals in public places, such as parks or recreation areas. She is also president of Ames Seed Capital, a pool of investment funds contributed by private sources for the purpose of providing equity financing for business start-ups and/or expansions in Story County, Iowa.

“Graduating from Iowa State, I would have never guessed my career would be starting and running companies,” Kate said. “But my psychology degree has been invaluable in creating companies. It taught me how to build effective company cultures, and remember that each employee is a person who reacts to situations differently. I use my degree daily to facilitate this culture and support each person we hire.”

Kate chose to major in psychology because human behavior always intrigued her. While at Iowa State, she became a research lab assistant, where she learned how to publish academic papers and research new theories. She considers it one of the highlights of her undergraduate experience.

That research experience served Kate well as she pursued a master’s degree in counseling and a law degree from Drake University following graduation from Iowa State. Her advice for future psychology students is to be open to new experiences and opportunities.

“A degree in psychology open many career doors, from going straight to work or attending graduate programs,” Kate said. “I would tell students to keep their goals open. You never know where your career may go.”