Kinley Koontz (BME, ’22) quickly recognized the value of the Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program (IBEP) when she began working as an investment analyst and marketing lead for Community Equity Ventures (CEV), an early-stage venture capital firm focused on helping founders scale innovative businesses.
During her time at CEV, Koontz contributed to initiatives that expanded the firm’s angel investor network threefold across two new cities, helped launch a partnership with ORNL Innovation Crossroads, and supported efforts that returned more than $24 million to investors to date.
“In private equity and innovation strategy, the value you provide lies in your ability to connect the dots between market priorities, customer needs, product innovation, and stakeholder communication,” she said. “Dr. Rupy Sawhney’s systems thinking framework gave me the ability to navigate complexity without sacrificing ethics, creativity, or quality.”
After graduating from the University of Tennessee with a degree in biomedical engineering, Koontz joined Deloitte Consulting in Washington, D.C. as a technical project manager in the Government and Public Service division. Through IBEP, she developed the ability to work across disciplines, align stakeholders, and translate technical concepts into strategic action. These skills accelerated her progression into leadership-focused roles.
“I became known as more than ‘just an engineer,’” Koontz said. “My ability to connect with people across departments and industries has enabled me to support the Department of Defense, the State Department, NGOs in Bosnia and East Africa, nonprofits, and even Deloitte internal operations.”
In 2025, after helping lead large-scale technical transformation initiatives at Altar’d State, Koontz launched her own consulting practice focused on corporate innovation, systems strategy, technology transformation, program management, storytelling, and agricultural sustainability.
Her work now centers on helping organizations modernize operations while strengthening the long-term resilience of local communities, family farms, and regional economies.
Alongside her consulting practice, Koontz founded Heavenly Hosts, a community-centered initiative that creates spaces for connection through farm-to-table dinners, storytelling experiences, workshops, and collaborative events that bring together farmers, entrepreneurs, artists, technologists, and community leaders.
“Heavenly Hosts was created from the belief that meaningful change happens when people gather around a table and share their stories,” Koontz said. “I wanted to build something that bridges innovation, hospitality, agriculture, and community development in a way that feels deeply human and authentic to me.”
Koontz credits IBEP mentor Barbie Bigelow, a member of the Tickle College of Engineering Board of Advisors, with helping guide her through each major professional transition.
“She supported me through joining Deloitte, leading enterprise transformation initiatives, and ultimately stepping into entrepreneurship,” Koontz said. “Her mentorship helped me understand that leadership is not about fitting into one box or climbing a ladder. It is about learning through every experience and bringing people, ideas, and systems together to create meaningful impact in a way that fulfills you and carries out your core missions.”
Koontz encourages students considering IBEP to embrace the opportunity to learn from people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and disciplines.
“If you want to become a lifelong learner and someone capable of building bridges across industries and communities, this program will change the way you think,” she said. “The ability to connect seemingly unrelated ideas and people is one of the most valuable skills you can develop and it’s how lasting positive change happens.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey (rpotkey@utk.edu)