Who We Are

Second Mountain Strategies leverages more than fifteen years of experience to help governments, philanthropies, and community leaders design and align the systems that drive economic mobility. We translate policy into practice, build cross-sector partnerships, and create solutions rooted in the realities of place so communities can thrive.

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Katherine Ash, Founder & Principal Consultant

Katherine Ash is a policy advisor and systems designer specializing in place-based economic mobility, workforce development, and cross-sector partnerships. With 15 years of experience across federal policy, state systems, philanthropy, and international development, she is dedicated to designing policy and programs that reach the communities hardest to serve.

Kate has designed and led major workforce innovation initiatives, including SkillsFWD, the nation’s first funder collaborative advancing skills-based hiring through learning and employment records, the National Governors Association’s Workforce Innovation Network; and advising on Opportunity Now, Colorado’s nationally-recognized workforce innovation fund. She has supported more than 15 states in modernizing workforce systems, building digital skills, and translating evidence-based policy into practice. Earlier in her career, she served as an advisor to the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and led Vermont's statewide recovery efforts as Deputy Disaster Recovery Officer following Tropical Storm Irene.

She has published multiple state playbooks and policy roadmaps on state systems change including Reimagining Workforce Policy in the Age of Disruption, A State Roadmap for Workforce Recovery, and Using Data to Advance Digital Skills: A State Playbook. She also served as a three-time expert reviewer for the National Science Foundation's Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Directorate to evaluate regional strategies to drive economic competitiveness.

Kate’s work on public sector innovation has been featured in Forbes, The Hill, U.S. News & World Report, Inside Higher Ed, WorkingNation, and more. She was awarded the John L. Weinberg Fellowship to pursue a Master’s degree at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs. She holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont, where she previously served on the President's Engagement Advisory Board. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her family and returns home to Vermont whenever she gets the chance.