Meet Katie Thompson: A Judge at Missouri Startup Weekend 2024

Behind the Judge: Katie Thompson

Fierce, competitive, and undeniably brilliant, Katie Thompson is set to bring her wealth of experience and insight to the judging panel at the 2024 Missouri Startup Weekend. As Co-founder and COO of Elemental Enzymes, Thompson has been instrumental in driving the company’s success in developing sustainable solutions for agriculture. 

Elemental Enzymes, based in St. Louis, specializes in developing products that enhance crop yields through innovative enzyme technologies. Founded in 2011 by Katie and her husband Brian, the company has evolved from research in agriculture to now manufacturing and selling their own agricultural products. With 280 patents and continuous innovation in crop and plant health, they have become a powerhouse in the life sciences industry, catering to top agricultural companies worldwide. When Katie and her husband started Elemental Enzymes, they had no idea what it would become, they just knew they had something special.

This determination has fueled Elemental Enzymes through various phases of growth, including transitioning from a service-based model to developing and marketing their own agricultural products. They recently raised a private equity round in 2023, unlocking even more potential for the company.

A graduate of the University of Missouri, where she earned her Ph.D. in cell, molecular and developmental biology in 2011, Katie's competitive spirit and passion for STEM were evident early on. She notes that “Chemistry just made sense to me. When I learned it, it was like something I already knew.” Raised in the outskirts of St. Louis, Katie was the first in her family to pursue higher education, driven by a desire to make a larger impact. Her appetite for learning and experience led her through a variety of experiences, including holding over 20 jobs before the age of 25. This approach to life extends beyond her professional career, as she finds joy in sports, home renovation projects, art, and exploring new hobbies with her three children.

Despite her wild success, Katie remains deeply rooted in her community, actively engaging in outreach efforts focused on entrepreneurship and STEM education. From inspiring high school women to pursuing careers in science to doing talks like Becoming Elemental Enzymes to talk about transitioning from scientist to entrepreneur, 

While Katie may be a newcomer to the Missouri Startup Weekend scene, she’s excited to be a judge this year to see what new innovations are being built and meet the entrepreneurs behind the ideas. One of Elemental Enzyme’s core values is innovation and this will be one of her main focuses over the weekend. 

Q&A

What are you most excited about for Startup Weekend?

I’m excited to hear what everyone, especially the students, come up with, and also just to be around that energy. I love the questions you get because they force you to think of things from a different perspective and that’s always so interesting and exciting. 

What top 3 pieces of advice would you give to Startup Weekend competitors?

1. Be adaptable and keep learning - that’s always really high on my list.
2. Be prepared to make decisions without 100% of the information you need to make that decision. If you wait until you have all the information, you will be making your decision too slowly. Deciding to do nothing is a really big risk in entrepreneurship.
3. Have no fear. You can learn just as much from a loss as you can from a win.  

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

“I’m actually more of a snow cone person. I really love snow cones. If I had to pick a flavor it would be peach with cream.”

If you could have any superpower for a day, what would it be and why?

I would definitely be a time-turner. 100%. I want to be able to control time.