Katie Montoya, founder of BuildHer Lab, standing in her garden in overalls
Meet the founder

Hi, I'm Katie.

I'm a leader, entrepreneur, advocate, and lifelong builder creating BuildHer Lab™ as a new way to learn, lead, build, and sustain what comes next.

BuildHer Lab™ is being built in real time through storytelling, community, hands-on learning, and The Blueprint Method™, with the first fellowship pilot launching alongside Luminary Operations.

Read My Story
My story

I built through experience.

I never knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. What I did know was that I wanted options. I wanted to build a meaningful life without taking on debt for a path that didn’t feel fully mine.

So I built through experience. I entered the corporate world in 2009, moved through roles every few years, climbed the ladder, joined the corporate office, stepped into leadership, and learned how businesses, teams, systems, and people grow.

In 2025, after a ruptured ovarian cyst, I was diagnosed with Stage IV endometriosis. During my recovery, BuildHer was born.

I wanted to create a different way. A different way to enter your career. A different way to learn how to build. A different way to grow surrounded by community.

Women are built differently, yet so many of us have been operating inside systems that were not created for us. So I decided to leave that system and create a new one.

One that defines success differently. One that supports the whole person. One that allows you to stay aligned while still chasing your dreams.

Today, I’m building two businesses in real time. Through Luminary Operations, I’m launching the first BuildHer Fellowship pilot with my niece. Through BuildHer Lab™, I’m telling the story, building the framework, and creating a community for people who want to lead, build, and sustain what comes next.

Because when people learn to build, they learn to trust themselves.
The path that built BuildHer

Built one chapter at a time.

2009

Entered Corporate

Began building a career rooted in leadership, sales, business development, and learning by doing.

2014

Built Commercial

Built a commercial division for the largest residential repaint contractor in the Denver metro area, expanding service offerings and creating new growth opportunities.

2016

Grew a Division

Founded and grew a commercial painting division inside a multi-company organization, leading business development, operations, client relationships, and strategic growth.

2019

Returned to Corporate

Rejoined corporate leadership, bringing entrepreneurial experience into regional leadership, training and talent development, and organizational growth. Took on national accounts, leading the company’s largest account alongside cross-functional teams.

2025

Reimagined Success

After a Stage IV endometriosis diagnosis, recovery created the pause that helped clarify a new vision for work, wellness, leadership, and community.

2026

Founded BuildHer Lab™

Left corporate leadership, founded BuildHer Lab™, and began building Luminary Operations as the platform for the first BuildHer Fellowship pilot.

Why BuildHer Lab™

Because there is more than one way to build a meaningful life.

Because confidence is built through action.
Because every skill can be learned.
Because community creates momentum.
Because success should support your well-being, not come at its expense.
Because leadership, entrepreneurship, practical skills, and ambition belong in the same space.
Because people deserve pathways that support the whole person.
When people trust themselves, they can change their lives, their communities, and the world around them.