The transition undertaken by Kate Traub brought her to a place she didn’t know existed. As one of the co-founders of Tanoshi, Traub transitioned in January and found where she fits in the world in the process.
“I never really felt like my given name was me. I felt I wore it badly,” Traub said. “Kate’s my name. It feels like me.”
Traub’s unique educational experience gave her a unique perspective when she was one of Tanoshi’s founders in 2017, bringing her deeply ingrained upbringing by parents involved in educational technology and art in a professional environment together to help children.
Despite excelling in school and professionally, Traub struggled with depression for most of her life. She describes it as being ever-present throughout her life. The longest period she had without being depressed was the 3 hours and 2 minutes while watching Avengers: Endgame.
The reception she received when she informed family, friends, and colleagues of the transition has been universally positive.
Any apprehension she felt about it disappeared as soon as she told them.
“I have not lost a single friend,” Traub said. “I have been accepted by Brad (Johnston), Lisa (Love) and Greg (Smith), and everyone at Tanoshi to an extraordinary degree.”
Traub didn’t set out to follow her father into education.
While and since earning multiple college degrees in computer science and the law, Traub has frequently found herself in front of groups of eager students seeking her direction as an instructor.
From assisting teachers in high school to teaching classes under her professors in college to running seminars on forming a 501c3 non-profit, Traub has found herself frequently teaching.
It made her a perfect fit for her current job as general counsel and chief operating officer for Tanoshi and gives her a unique perspective on the company’s mission of bridging the tech gap for all learners.
“I liked being in front of a class and helping people,” Traub said. “I would say teaching gave me a good idea of how to communicate.”
While earning all those college degrees, what Traub found most was her true passion.
“What I really wanted to do was communicate between technologists and act as a go-between,” Traub said.
For Tanoshi, Traub wears many hats.
In a day, she could be reviewing contracts, responding to legal matters, filing logistics updates and financial updates, managing the flow of internal operations, working with investors, and negotiating contracts along with matters like human resources and more.
Originally from New York, Traub grew up in Atlanta and her interest in computers was born at an early age when she was online by the age of 12 when she forged connections with the art and gaming communities.
Traub’s father, Barry, spent a career developing educational products — including those involving kinesthetic learning — and her mother, Sandra, was a working artist.
Traub earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Georgia, a master’s in the history of science and technology from Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, and a law degree from Georgia State College of Law.
“For family obligations, I was encouraged to stay in Georgia,” Traub said.
Traub interned for Georgia Lawyers for the Arts and worked for The Moore Firm as an attorney.
She takes pride in representing her father in legal matters like corporate formation for the educational projects he worked on late in his career.
After living in Georgia for much of her life, Traub followed the advice of friends by moving to California.
“They’re like you have to scramble and hustle, that’s where you need to be,” Traub said.
Traub earned a legal master’s in intellectual property from Santa Clara College of Law then worked as internal associate counsel for TrialPay then started her own solo practice.
Traub joined Tanoshi as general counsel in 2017 and was promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer a year later.
She was awarded for her extensive pro bono work while in college, and she has joined Out In Tech and plans to resume that work.
Traub’s father, Barry, died in 2015. She feels that her current job, which marries her passions for education, technology, and the law was what her father wanted for her.
“I now have a job that he would be proud of. And I couldn’t tell him,” Traub said.
