Galvanize your competitive edge

Demystifying digital and AI strategy for growth stage businesses

Helping traditional growth stage companies and their stakeholders improve digital & AI capabilities to unlock and drive sustainable growth and value creation.

I’m just as fluent in “traditional” as I am in “digital”...

I’m Kristin Pados, Founder & Principal of Left Fork Consulting LLC. Having started my career during the dot-com boom, I’ve seen the digital business world from every angle and am passionate about demystifying the path to digital success. My depth and breadth of both traditional and digital expertise enable me to serve as a bridge between the two worlds, bringing digital innovation and AI solutions to traditional business challenges.

Over my 25 years in the digital sector, I’ve held leadership and operational roles in product, marketing, and general management, driving impact and business growth for companies spanning a variety of sectors and stages, including Tripadvisor, Apple, The New York Times, and AI platform, Nara Logics. As Principal of Left Fork Consulting, I partner with CEOs, management teams, and private equity investors – specializing in the middle market –  to help them navigate digital & AI transformation and leverage the opportunities and capabilities available to them at this stage when value creation is paramount.

How can I help you?

I offer several ways of working together, depending on your business’s unique needs:

1:1 Advisory Session

1 hour

VIP Intensive

1-2 days

Rapid Assessment Sprint

4-6 weeks

Fractional CDO (Chief Digital Officer) Advisory

Monthly retainer

How I Work

Strategic Clarity

Recognizing that not everyone speaks the language of digital, I cut through the complexity with clear, actionable strategies that demystify the path to digital success.

Empowering Approach

I meet you where you are, with a range of service options and bespoke strategies that empower you to engage at your pace and level of need.

Trusted Partnership

I’m a nimble and dedicated ally in your business’s digital evolution, adapting to changing needs and plans, and working alongside you as a trusted advisor.

Value-Driven Impact

I prioritize actions that create significant value in your business, whether in short-term or longer engagements.

Holistic Mindset

I embrace a comprehensive view of your business, ensuring all facets of digital transformation are well suited and work harmoniously to drive growth.

Early Collaboration

I employ the digital concept of “shifting left”—identifying and addressing potential issues, limitations, and requirements early on—to help my clients improve quality, efficiency, collaboration and time to market.

  • "Bringing in Kristin Pados from Left Fork Consulting as a fractional leader was one of the best early decisions I made as new CEO post-acquisition. Starting from ground zero, she demonstrated a holistic and methodical approach in crafting a digital strategy that not only invigorated our top-line growth but fundamentally transformed how we engaged with our market. Her ability to simplify complexity while learning our business quickly was extraordinary, while bringing a level of digital insight that catalyzed our ambitious objectives into measurable successes. Kristin exceeded expectations at every turn -- becoming a true and indispensable partner to me, stepping in to fill a critical leadership role and acting as a force multiplier that laid a robust foundation for our organization's future and propelled us toward our growth targets and beyond."

    - George Godfrey, CEO of PE-backed growth stage home services company

  • "I was lucky to hire Kristin as GM and SVP at Nara Logics, the AI platform company I co-founded, and having her on the executive team was a game-changer. Working with Kristin, I was consistently impressed by her ability to grasp business challenges, synthesize diverse inputs and distill actionable strategies that directly impacted our growth and scalability. She excels at breaking down projects into practical, manageable parts and navigating stakeholder conversations, with close attention to the nuances of business model and organizational culture. Kristin's strong customer-centric, agile and data-driven mindset was pivotal in transforming our operations and go to market efforts and her overall contributions significantly impacted the trajectory of Nara's business, setting the company up for a new round of investment. I only wish I hired her sooner. I strongly recommend Kristin as a consultant and business partner to any leadership team looking to harness the power of digital and AI capabilities to drive competitive advantage.”

    - Tom Copeman, CEO & Co-Founder, Nara Logics

  • “Having worked closely with Kristin in the high-caliber, fast-paced environment at Tripadvisor, I have seen her operate as a digital product and general management leader, grounded in a strong data-driven and customer-centric philosophy. She not only possesses a unique ability to synthesize complex market dynamics, business requirements and customer insights into strategic roadmaps that drive significant growth and competitive advantage but also excels in high-stakes, shifting and resource-constrained environments, quickly adapting to changes and mastering new learning curves -- which makes her as an ideal partner to a growth stage CEO. Her deep digital expertise is an asset to traditional companies looking to solve business challenges through enhanced digital capabilities, and her adeptness at navigating cross-functional dynamics and influencing all organizational levels ensures digital strategies are well integrated and aligned with business objectives. I welcome any opportunity to collaborate with Kristin again and have repeatedly recommended her expertise at places I've worked since our paths first crossed.”

    - Raju Matta, SVP Cambridge Mobile Telematics (previously Amazon, Tripadvisor)

  • "Kristin has a natural ability to bridge the gap between advanced AI technologies and practical business applications. She excels not only in translating complexity into actionable plans, but also in anticipating and resolving potential issues early to enhance business outcomes. Kristin's contributions at Nara Logics were instrumental in our early work brainstorming and productizing innovative technologies, driving data-driven decision-making, and accelerating the cross-functional development process. I recommend her for anyone seeking a partner in sharpening their strategic thinking, elevating their focus, and bringing new ideas in AI to the end user in a friendly and approachable way."

    - Nathan Wilson, CTO & Co-Founder, Nara Logics

Ready to discuss possibilities?