Katie Barnes 🤫
Fractional COO & RevOps Operator for Seed–Series B SaaS | The operational backbone that makes founders scalable | Onboarding, renewals & RevOps clean-up
About
I’m the operational backbone for Seed–Series B SaaS founders.
I parachute into 10–60 person startups and turn cross-functional friction between Sales, CS, Product, and Finance into an operating system everyone actually follows.
I don’t throw playbooks at your problems. I sit with your team, map the real prospect → client → renewal journey, and build human-first, AI-powered systems that stick long after I’m gone.
What that looks like IRL:
Onboarding cut from 18 days → 6, while keeping NRR at 100% during leadership gaps in both Sales and CS.
$30,000+ in missed ARR uncovered by fixing invoicing, collections, and internal handoffs.
Outstanding balances reduced by 90% after migrating 140+ clients to a streamlined Stripe-backed billing system.
Investor-ready data rooms assembled in days, not weeks, for active and upcoming raises.
Who I work best with:
B2B SaaS (sometimes fintech / recurring pro services)
Seed → Series B
10–60 people, no full-time COO, founder still in the weeds
Symptoms: onboarding slipping, renewals wobbly, messy handoffs, tools not talking to each other, fire drills as “the culture”
How I plug in:
Fractional COO / Ops Backbone – Embedded with your leadership team to own cross-functional ops, GTM rhythm, and clarity.
RevOps & Client Journey Sprints – 30- to 60-day projects to clean up your CRM, onboarding, renewals, and reporting so everyone finally sees the same truth.
Founder & Ops Advisory – Monthly calls + async support when you need a strategic operator, not a full-time hire.
If you’re a founder thinking, “We just signed new customers and CS isn’t ready,” or “Every team is busy but we’re not moving,” we should talk.
DMs open or email me at Katie@riseandoptimize.com.
đź“Ť Based in St. Louis. Powered by strong coffee, live music, and a toddler with Series A negotiation skills.
Experience
Founder
Rise and Optimize
Apr 2025 – Present(1 yr 1 mo)
Fractional COO
Unit 387
Oct 2025 – Present(7 mos)
Member
The Old Girls Club
Apr 2025 – Present(1 yr 1 mo)
Member
The People People Group
Jul 2023 – Present(2 yrs 10 mos)
The People People Group is North America's most engaged community of passionate HR, Recruitment and Operations professionals. We are dedicated to sharing best practices, elevating each other and collectively improving the employee and candidate experience for everyone.
Head of Operations
ARTERNAL
Oct 2022 – Jul 2025(2 yrs 10 mos)
Driving Growth, Efficiency, and Collaboration Strategic Leadership: trusted partner to the CEO, driving high-level decision-making and aligning operations with company goals. Fundraising Impact: Managed 20+ data rooms for Series A investors, facilitating a seamless process that secured the first tranche of $3M in funding. Revenue Optimization: Conducted a detailed audit of the invoicing system, uncovering uncollected ARR and streamlining revenue recognition processes. Cross-Functional Alignment: Collaborates with sales and client success leaders to set and manage OKRs Financial Growth Strategy: Partnered with accounting teams to develop financial models, charting a scalable path from $1M to $10M ARR over three years. Operational Efficiency: Spearheaded the migration of 140+ client accounts from FreshBooks to a Stripe-powered internal billing system, reducing outstanding balances by 90%. Performance Tracking Innovation: Built and maintained a comprehensive SaaSGrid dashboard to track key metrics (ARR, MRR, Gross Margin, CAC, ACV), enabling data-driven decisions. Streamlined Processes: Introduced and documented workflows in Notion to enhance team efficiency and clarify roles across departments. Change Management Cost Savings in HR
Operations Manager
ARTERNAL
May 2022 – Oct 2022(6 mos)
Director Of Operations
Stock Legal, LLC · Greater St. Louis
Feb 2021 – May 2022(1 yr 4 mos)
Operational Leadership: Oversaw core business functions, including HR, IT, marketing, and finance, ensuring seamless day-to-day operations and alignment with firm objectives. Process Optimization: Leveraged no-code automation tools to streamline workflows, reducing inefficiencies and improving team productivity. Talent Acquisition and Development: Led end-to-end hiring, onboarding, and training processes for attorneys and operational staff, ensuring a high-performing and engaged workforce. Financial Oversight: Partnered with leadership to develop the firm’s financial model and budget, uncovering $50,000 in unbilled work through detailed analysis and process improvements. Strategic Marketing Initiatives: Launched a business development committee, implemented multivariate marketing strategies, and developed retargeting campaigns to strengthen client engagement. Vendor and Compliance Management: Managed relationships with external vendors and oversaw submissions for certifications (e.g., WBENC), public relations, and awards to enhance the firm’s reputation. Employee Benefits Expansion: Spearheaded the launch of a company-wide 401(k) plan, improving employee satisfaction and retention. Through these efforts, I successfully positioned Stock Legal for sustainable growth by implementing scalable systems, optimizing operational workflows, and aligning strategic initiatives with long-term business goals.
Chief of Staff
Viven Health
Mar 2013 – Jan 2021(7 yrs 11 mos)
Strategic Leadership: As the first executive hire outside the C-suite, I collaborated closely with leadership to shape the company’s go-to-market strategy and business objectives. Investor and Board Relations: Maintained strong relationships with investors and board members, facilitating quarterly investor meetings and monthly board updates to ensure alignment and transparency. Partnership Development: Led discussions with Fortune 500 companies, securing strategic partnerships that expanded the company’s reach and impact. Operational Support: Created and refined pitch decks for customers and investors using PowerPoint and Canva, ensuring clear and compelling communication of Viven Health’s value proposition. Sales Leadership: Ran sales meetings and pitches, both in person and virtually, to drive revenue and build relationships with key stakeholders. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Organized and led weekly business board meetings, ensuring alignment across teams and fostering a culture of collaboration. Digital Engagement: Launched and managed the company’s social media presence, increasing visibility and engagement with key audiences. During my tenure, I leveraged my expertise in operations, communications, and strategic planning to support Viven Health’s mission and position the company for long-term success.
Director of Communications
Heart Care Monitoring · Greater St. Louis
Apr 2011 – Oct 2015(4 yrs 7 mos)
Marketing and sales to bring the Heart Safe Physical™ to high school students. Implemented a system to screen high school athletes for heart conditions Ran events to screen hundreds of young athletes Maintained investor and community relationships
Education
University of Missouri-Saint Louis
2009 – 2011
University of Missouri-Columbia
Bachelor's degree
Aug 2007 – May 2009
Expertise
Specialties
