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By: Ethan Rogers
Corporations have always clung to rigid structures with fixed hours, mandatory office presence, and standardized roles, assuming that’s the only way a business can function. Employees are treated as interchangeable parts rather than individuals with unique strengths, responsibilities, and circumstances. But what if businesses broke free from these constraints? What if success wasn’t measured by time clocked in but by the quality of work produced?
One leader challenging that status quo is Katrina Starnes, founder of The Rise Group. A researcher turned entrepreneur—though she never planned to be either—Starnes has spent nearly 17 years building a company that values results over time spent, flexibility over micromanagement, and people over processes.
Like many young professionals, Starnes wasn’t sure where her career would take her. One thing she was sure of? “I will not go into research,” she used to joke. “I won’t be stuck in a lab coat.”
And yet, years later, she found herself deeply immersed in research, minus the lab coat. Then came the second twist: entrepreneurship. “I never had dreams of owning my own business. That wasn’t in the cards for me,” Starnes says. “But here I am, nearly two decades in, still running my own company.”
Her career began in advertising research, exploring the power of persuasion and the effectiveness of messaging. From there, she transitioned to corporate research, helping organizations consolidate and understand vast amounts of data. As she worked, she recognized a fundamental flaw in the way companies operated: they weren’t listening to their people.
Even in high school, Starnes had a knack for research and a passion for inclusion. As a person in charge of a youth board in Northern Illinois, she noticed that event organizers made decisions in a vacuum without seeking input from those they were supposed to serve. So, she developed her first survey: gathering feedback, identifying needs, and shaping future programming based on real insights.
That early experience foreshadowed her entire career. Whether working for corporations or running her own business, Starnes believed in data-driven decision-making and creating spaces where people’s voices mattered.
The tipping point came when she was expecting her first child. Despite a supportive boss, HR policies made it clear: if she wasn’t in the office full-time, her career was at risk. “I had a computer and an internet connection—why couldn’t I do it from anywhere?” she questioned herself.
Forced to choose between a rigid corporate structure and her own needs, Starnes made the terrifying decision to go out on her own. “I just wanted to do good work and be able to pay my mortgage,” she says. Within a month, her former boss called: “Hey, so when can you start as a consultant?” That call gave birth to The Rise Group, a research and consulting firm that has now thrived for 17 years, not by following traditional corporate structures but by rewriting the rules entirely.
Photo Courtesy: The Rise Group Inc.