Kirsten Co is a New York–based founder, operator, startup advisor, and venture scout. As the founder of K & Company LLC, her firm advises Seed to Series A founders and emerging technology companies. She helps early-stage companies win and keep enterprise customers through commercialization, strategic partnerships, customer growth, and scaling from founder-led execution to institutional adoption. She also actively scouts for VC firms in high-innovation early-stage companies across Physical AI, Infrastructure, cybersecurity and enterprise software.

With over 15 years of global experience across Fortune 500 companies and high-growth startups, Kirsten has led transformation initiatives across HR operations, procurement, fulfillment, logistics, product launches, and go-to-market execution. Her work spans CPG, travel technology, e-commerce, and B2B AI SaaS, with leadership experience across companies including The Coca-Cola Company, Sea Group, and AfterShip. She holds an MBA from Sydney Business School and brings a global perspective shaped by living and working across the Philippines, Singapore, Australia, and now the United States.

Beyond advisory work, Kirsten is deeply embedded in New York’s innovation, media, and cultural ecosystems. She contributes to Insider Monkey, a financial media and intelligence firm, covering private markets, startup intelligence, and emerging founder stories for an investor-focused audience. She co-produced and hosted responsible AI and emerging technology events at Microsoft Garage in NYC alongside NYU's Ethical Tech Co-lab, where she also recently completed her STEM master’s in Global Security, Conflict, and Cybercrime. A supporter of fashion and the arts, Kirsten Co was part of the core team behind FILIPINXT, the first all-Filipino fashion showcase officially featured on the New York Fashion Week calendar and recognized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, in collaboration with the Philippine Consulate General in New York, helping elevate Filipino and Filipino-American designers, creatives, and cultural storytelling onto a global stage.

During this episode, we discuss:

• Kirsten's 15-year career spanning CPG, operations, e-commerce, AI-based SaaS, and travel technology across Asia, Australia, Singapore, and now New York
• Starting K & Company LLC out of a desire to stop working 9-to-5, build her own brand, and stay embedded in the startup ecosystem on her own terms
• What her specialty is
• The most important first step for landing an enterprise customer
• How to retain enterprise customers
• How Kirsten became a venture scout organically
• Advice for founders seeking capital
• What she recommends for aspiring venture scouts
• Why in-person events remain the most reliable way to build relationships in the startup and VC ecosystem

And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things enterprise sales and venture!