Kayli Harlan

I turn rooms full of strangers into communities.

I’m a partnerships, programs, and communications leader in Atlanta. I build the alliances, communities, and events that bring people and organizations together, and I write, design, and produce the content that gets them to show up. After more than a decade in education and the innovation ecosystem, I care most about purposeful work, and I’ve learned the best programs are built with the people they serve.

Email meSee samplesResume
Marion, Indiana Columbus, Ohio Atlanta, Georgia Fargo, North Dakota Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Click any two dots to introduce them. The gold lines are introductions.

How I can help

Partnerships and alliances

Relationship-first work across universities, city government, corporate partners, and nonprofits, with shared goals, clear governance, and a regular rhythm.

Program and portfolio management

I run a portfolio of programs and events at the same time, keeping scope, budget, timeline, and sponsors on track, while overseeing the data and dashboards that show what’s working.

Communications and content

Writing, design, and video that explain a program and get people to show up, from promotional materials and executive briefings to communication plans and a video I taught myself to make.

Community and ecosystem building

I connect people, institutions, and companies so the right folks meet sooner, and I build the cohorts and convenings that keep them talking.

Operations, budgets, and tools

I handle the operations behind the work: budgets, vendor negotiation, purchasing, standard procedures, and no-code builds (Airtable, automations, a virtual assistant) that make programs run.

Facilitation and training

I design and lead workshops, panels, and trainings, from intercultural-communication sessions for students to talks on building communities.

Selected work

Each project page covers the challenge, what I did, the result, and what I took from it. Organizations are described by type and numbers are rounded.

Show work for

Samples of my work

Pieces I wrote, designed, or produced. Some are redacted so they are safe to share.

  • Preview of Foster adoption posters

    Foster adoption posters

    Posters for foster kittens I cared for through LifeLine Animal Project. I built one template, wrote each cat’s profile and call to action, and made a photo-collage version for each. Of the three kittens I fostered, two were adopted and I adopted the third.

    Open the posters

  • Preview of Ducky Awards, redacted

    Ducky Awards, redacted

    A set of playful team-building awards a colleague and I gave our team of international student and scholar advisors. Each award was written for one person’s strengths. Names are redacted.

    Open the awards

  • Preview of Co-hosted virtual events

    Co-hosted virtual events

    Instagram promotion I wrote and designed for virtual events hosted with campus partners during remote learning: a graduation celebration on Instagram Live with scavenger-hunt winners and guest speakers, a webinar with the career center, a student panel co-hosted with the student life division, and a session led by an outside immigration attorney.

    Open the posts  |  Watch the video

  • Preview of Staying connected with a remote community

    Staying connected with a remote community

    I ran the Instagram account for a university international student office through the 2020–21 remote year, writing and designing every post: a “we’re still here” message, a gift for the Class of 2020, a thank-you to new students, volunteers, and campus partners, and a story introducing virtual advising and new advisors. I also reorganized the account and used its analytics to target content, which doubled the number of posts, stories, and reposts and reached up to 80% of the international audience with some posts. Separately, I led the orientation rebrand and marketing that took attendance at orientation events from 1% to over 90%.

    Open the posts  |  Watch the video

  • Preview of Atlanta Innovation Cup promo video

    Atlanta Innovation Cup promo video

    A 50-second promo for the 2026 Atlanta Innovation Cup, a student challenge presented by Avant South, made for the program website. I wrote the script, designed it, and edited it in Canva. It explains the format (join a team, solve a real problem, pitch live), the 2026 theme, and the key dates. The 2026 Cup drew 167 participants on 34 teams from 11 schools.

    Watch the video

Coverage and mentions

Pages that name me, followed by coverage of the programs I work on. Role credits vary by article.

Names me

About the programs

Speaking and ideas

Every founder builds inside an ecosystem. The best convenings are built with the people in the room, around what they actually need.

I have given 50+ talks, including 20+ panels I spoke on or moderated. I have presented on ecosystem building at three national conferences, co-facilitated a conference workshop on student entrepreneurship support, guest lectured in two university seminars, and served as an invited panelist for the University System of Georgia’s project management community. I also built and secured funding for a peer-learning cohort of ecosystem builders in Atlanta.

Talks I can give

  • Partnerships that outlast the first meeting: tailoring the offer by audience and following up on a cadence
  • Designing a convening around what the room needs, drawn from the Tech Hop and Avant South
  • Running a community when everyone is remote
  • Rethinking how institutions support student entrepreneurs

Selected talks

  • 2025–2026
    GCEC

    “First to Try: Reimagining Student Entrepreneurship Support with Creativity and Ecosystem Connectivity”

    Co-authored and co-facilitated an interactive workshop with colleagues from the Office of Commercialization.

  • 2025–2026
    InBIA and UEDA

    Conference presentations on ecosystem building

    Presented at both national conferences.

  • University System of Georgia
    Project Management Community Group

    “Wellbeing in High-Performance Environments”

    Invited panelist.

  • 2020
    Georgia International Leadership Conference

    Conference presentation

    Committee member and presenter.

  • 2019
    NAFSA Region VII

    Regional conference presentation

    Presented as an international student and scholar advisor.

Invite me to speak

Recognition

Awards and acknowledgments I can point to. References are available on request.

  • 2025
    Startup Atlanta Awards

    Nominee, Community Builder of the Year

    Nominated about a year and a half into working in Atlanta’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.

  • 2024
    Georgia Tech

    Recognized for co-establishing ACES

    My annual reflection noted that I excelled in co-establishing ACES.

  • 2021
    Georgia Tech

    Spirit of Georgia Tech Award

    A staff award given to the international student advising team I was part of, as listed in The Whistle.

  • North Dakota State University

    Innovation Grant

    A competitive grant to develop and carry out campus diversity initiatives.

  • In print

    Credited by name

    The Tech Hop and the Innovation Cup credits are listed under Coverage and mentions.

About

I started in international education, advising and recruiting students from 100+ countries. Now I run initiatives, experiences, programs, and partnerships across Atlanta’s universities, city government, and companies.

Before that, I lived, studied, and taught in China for about 2.5 years. It showed me that good communication starts with a spark of goodwill and good humor.

Early in my career, I taught myself to create communications and content because my teams, stakeholders, programs, and leaders needed them. I fell in love with having a creative side to my career. My first video used a library camera, a script, and a student volunteer in a minion onesie costume, and it worked!

With a background in advising and coaching, I’ve also come to love being a matchmaker and connector in my field. Usually someone is missing a next step or hasn’t met the right person yet. So when the person I’m talking to is stuck, my first move is a warm introduction.

Outside work, I’m surrounded by rescue pets or out in my pollinator garden, trying to convince native plants to stay and aphids to leave. I am forever perfecting a cup of tea (the research is ongoing, and delicious). I read and craft with friends, explore Georgia farms and orchards, and gather with other women working in AI. I also vibe code small fixes for my own life. If something annoys me twice, it gets a tool.

Working with me

The practical questions, answered like we’re already having tea.

Where are you based?

Atlanta, Georgia. I’m glad to work on-site, remote, or hybrid, and I can travel up to about 35% of the time.

What kind of work are you looking for?

Ecosystem and community building, partnerships and alliances, communications and content, and program leadership. I’m open on sector: edtech, tech, nonprofit, social enterprise, advocacy, consulting, innovation, and education. If the work connects people to opportunity, I’m in.

Do you manage people?

I regularly lead without direct authority, and I’ve supervised student teams, volunteers, and event staff. I’m ready to lead a full-time team. (Co-leading a group of freshmen on a three-week study abroad trip to Tokyo prepares you for anything.)

How do you work?

Clear is kind. I write things down, say what I need, and follow up. I’m known as a high-energy facilitator and speaker, and the ultimate group-project groupie, always focused on how to organize the group for the best outcome. Afterward, I just need a quiet corner and a good cup of tea.

How do you use AI?

I create and build with it. I vibe code in Airtable, work with models in Copilot, develop Gems in Gemini, and use Claude for skills and scheduled tasks. I treat it like a virtual news anchor reporting on my life: put the right information in to get the best results out, and apply critical media literacy to decide what’s good and right. I especially like using AI to guide a brainstorming session, turn a brain dump into a first draft, and flag gaps and concerns.

Can I see a resume or references?

Yes. The resume page has a PDF, and I share references on request.

Get in touch

Email is the quickest way to reach me, and I reply within two business days. I’m happy to talk about partnerships, communities, content, or anything in this portfolio. Roles, collaborations, and introductions are all welcome.

hello@kayliharlan.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kayli-harlan

Book a 30-minute chat: cal.com/kayli-harlan
Lunch hours and evenings (Eastern) work best. If none of the times fit, email me and we’ll find one.