Austin may be a small city, but it’s full of talent, generosity, curiosity and a shared desire to make Central Texas a great place for everyone to live. To that end, there are some amazing organizations around Austin, and in this online column Kate will share what’s going on in the Austin nonprofit world, who’s doing what, and why it matters to all of us.
Kate Harrington is an Austin-based writer who writes about Austin nonprofit organizations, businesses and lifestyle trends. Kate has been writing for L Style G Style for four years, and is thrilled to be taking on the OutReach blog. A native New Englander, Kate has been living in Austin for over a decade. She moved here in her early 20’s to attend graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin, where she got her master’s degree in journalism. After graduating, Kate covered Hays County politics and economic development for the Free Press and then spent several years covering health care, development and real estate for the Austin Business Journal. While at the ABJ, Kate broke several big stories, including the first feasibility study about bringing a medical school to Austin, and the City of Austin’s investment in an East Texas biomass plant.
Now 34, Kate runs Thumbtack Communications, where she provides copywriting, social media strategy and PR in addition to writing bylined articles. She lives in Central Austin with her husband, toddler and two cranky cats. When she’s not writing, she’s playing guitar, gardening or hiking. She’s also on the board of Community Yoga Austin, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty and crime by bringing the practice of yoga to populations that wouldn’t otherwise have access to yoga classes. As a born-and-bred New Englander, Kate has a lifelong love of lobster, the Red Sox and inclement weather. You may hear her grumble about the heat in Texas, but she wouldn’t trade Barton Springs and the friendly people of Austin for all the skiing in the world.
