Katelyn Jones, PhD
CEO & Founder
I’ve always been curious about the gap between intention and impact.
My PhD research focused on decision‑making in international organizations, examining how high‑level choices translate into real consequences for people and communities. I was especially interested in decision processes: who was involved, what information mattered, and whether organizations learned from the effects of their choices.
Over time, I wanted to apply my skills outside of academia and directly in my community. I transitioned into nonprofit leadership, holding senior roles at mission‑driven organizations including the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the YWCA, and the YMCA.
In those roles, I experienced firsthand what my research examined: leaders often make high‑stakes decisions with incomplete information, compressed timelines, and little space for reflection. Not every decision needs deep deliberation, but the most consequential ones do. Decisions tied to social impact, equity, organizational change, or emerging technologies require stronger processes than many organizations use.
My leadership roles have focused on evaluation, impact measurement, and insight generation, helping teams move beyond data as reporting toward data as learning. Teaching Decision Strategy to MBA students at Loyola University Chicago has reinforced a core belief: Good decisions aren’t about certainty or perfect information, but about creating the conditions for alignment, productive debate, and learning.
That belief is what’s driving Noetic. I love helping leaders and teams have that “aha” moment—the shift in perspective that opens up a path forward they hadn’t seen before.