Katherine grew up in Tempe, AZ and went to the University of Arizona where received a B.S. in Physics and M.S. and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering.

When she moved to Germany in 2001, Katherine worked as a scientist, but soon became interested in the business side of product development and how to help businesses become more profitable. In Chicagoland, she earned a degree in accounting and qualified to take the CPA exam.

While in school, Katherine gained practical experience preparing taxes by volunteering with Ladder Up’s VITA program (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). With this program, she progressed from volunteer preparer, to quality reviewer, to site leader, to lead trainer.

Katherine has been in the business of preparing taxes since 2011. As an Enrolled Agent (EA), Katherine is a federally-authorized tax practitioner who has technical expertise in the field of taxation and who is empowered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before all administrative levels—examination, collection, and appeals—of the Internal Revenue Service.