Goleta Magazine 2020-2021 - 8

cover story

An Entrepreneurial Spirit
in the Non-Profit World
F O R M O S T O F H E R C A R E E R , Kathy Odell has
worked in the Good Land. Before her transition to the nonprofit world, she worked with many Goleta tech companies.
" The companies I helped build created things that made a
difference in people's lives. "

Pictured left to right:
Kathy Odell accepting
her Woman of the Year
award at the 2019 Goleta's
Finest Community Awards
Ceremony. Kathy pictured
with her colleagues at WEV
Nancy Crouse, Marsha Bailey,
Kate McNaughton and Lysa
Urban.

From Medical Concepts to Karl Storz Endoscopy to her
position as CEO of Inogen, Inc., Kathy quips that if she
lived in Silicon Valley, she would have never seen her
family.

Kathy Odell was on the cover
of the 2013 Goleta Magazine
that featured the tech scene
in Goleta.

Kathy credits the City of Goleta with building on the
strength of the region " making it possible for these tech
companies to succeed-they're saying, 'Yes, you can do that
here,' so they're embracing this industry. "
And because of that, people can afford to stay in Goleta.
Some of this technology is globally impactful, solving global
issues without losing the quality of life. " Here, you have a
community that supports your work and the things you
need are all close by. "

G O L E TA
E
M A G A Z I N

Ready for a change, Kathy made the transition from
technology to non-profit in 2020, now serving as the CEO
of Women's Economic Ventures (WEV). " For me, life has
always been about creating that opportunity for impact.
That kind of entrepreneurial rush you get when you do
things that actually matter-that's the rush people at
WEV have. "

2 0 13
EDITION

DE IN GOLETA

For more than two decades, WEV has been a leading provider of microenterprise development services to women
along the California's Central Coast, cultivating the power
within each woman to realize her dreams, achieve financial
independence and succeed on her own. Kathy volunteered
on the WEV Board of Directors for 10 years and was not so
much reluctant as surprised when they asked her to take
on the role of CEO. They affirmed she was a perfect fit
although she protested, " I've never run a nonprofit...at least
not deliberately! "
She points out that WEV is about creating entrepreneurs
and helping women navigate the business world - mostly
local. Kathy took everything she learned in her career to
now help dozens of entrepreneurs at one time. " It's taking
all the things that I recognize as holding us back and saying, 'How are we going to change the system that puts up
roadblocks and get those out of the way?' "
Quality of life in the Good Land keeps Kathy inspired-
atmosphere, climate, the local environment, neighborhood
comfort- " You don't have to escape to some place, you're
already in a really great place! " A favorite weekend activity
for Kathy and her husband, self-proclaimed homebodies:
having people over, backyard BBQ's and enjoying the sunset. She supports UCSB Arts & Lectures, and, as a " food and
wine person, " frequents local restaurants such as Ca'Dario.
" There's some great energy in Goleta, " Kathy says. " I hope
we keep nourishing it. "

MA
k Brainiacs
Meet the Laid Bac in Goleta
Scene
PAGE 6
Leading the Tech
rnia,
University of Califo

Santa Barbara: Educa

ting Entrepreneurs

ay to
Goleta: The Gatew

ORNIA 'S
PLAYI NG IN CALIF
, WORK ING AND
GUIDE TO LIVING
THE ESSEN TIAL

B Y K AT E S C H WA B

PAGE 25

Wine Country

PAGE 32

D I T I VALLE
2 0 1 3 ETA
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ON

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Goleta Magazine 2020-2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Goleta Magazine 2020-2021