About Kate
Third-generation farmer
I grew up on my family’s organic farm in Sutter County, just north of Sacramento.
Later I came back to work on the farm, designing and implementing a multi-million dollar inventory management software system and achieving the highest food safety standards.
-
My grandparents started the farm in 1946, after my grandfather returned from fighting the Nazis in World War II.
My mom and dad innovated, converting to organic starting in the 1980s.
Working at the intersection of farming and software engineering I architected and implemented a full-stack multi-million dollar inventory management system for tracking grains and beans through our mill. I took the farm to the highest food safety standards, making us competitive with much larger businesses.
Kate in a nearby rice field
Kate programming a truck scale
Kate's grandfather, Tom Sills, on the farm
Kate's family circa 1996 or so.
Kate's grandfather, Tom Sills, in Patton's Third Army.
The most recent Sutter Crop Report featured Pleasant Grove Farms!
Software Engineer, Speaker & Expert
I graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in Cognitive Science and Computer Science. As a software engineer, I became an expert at the intersection of law and software. I've spoken at Stanford University, Dartmouth College, University of Miami School of Law, and in Australia, London, New York City, and San Francisco.
-
I went to UC Berkeley thinking I was going to become a lawyer.
I took constitutional law, ancient and modern philosophy, political science, and computer science classes.
As a woman, I was underestimated in my computer science classes. So naturally I added computer science as a second major. I graduated from UC Berkeley in 2012 with degrees in Computer Science and Cognitive Science.
I was in Upsilon Pi Epsilon, the International Computer Science Honors Society.
As a software engineer, I’ve been an expert at the intersection of software and law.
I've spoken at Stanford University, Dartmouth College, University of Miami School of Law, and in Australia, London, New York City, and San Francisco.
Active in the Community
I started my own software engineering company, trained as a master gardener, published and edited a book with the Sonora Writers Group, and started singing in a traditional country band. I was also the co-leader of Tuolumne County Indivisible.
-
In 2021, I moved to Sonora. I bought a house on 2 acres, with a wood stove, a goat barn and chicken coop.
I started my own software engineering consulting company, working remotely. I became a master gardener, published and edited a book with the Sonora Writers Group, and started singing in a traditional country band.
I was the co-leader of Tuolumne County Indivisible and organized the No Kings rally, where I read the Declaration of Independence to a crowd of 1000-2000 people.
As a constituent, I begged Tom McClintock to start listening to this district. I called his offices regularly, and nothing improved. I’m tired of asking for basic representation.
As a constituent of this district, I’m tired of not being heard.
So I’m running for Congress.
As the Declaration of Independence states, when our government stops working for us, it is our right, it is our duty, to change it.
Our district deserves a fierce advocate for human dignity. We may not always agree on every issue, but I will be a tireless defender of our district and our country’s founding ideals.
I pledge to hold in-person town halls during every Congressional recess. I pledge to attend every vote, and to explain each vote publicly to my constituents.
No Kings Protest in Sonora, CA
Video by Laurie Sylwester