1. Home
  2. Our Speakers
  3. Katica Roy

Katica Roy

  • CEO and Founder of Pipeline
  • Award-Winning Gender Economist
  • Programmer and Data Scientist
  • LinkedIn’s 2022 Top Influencer for Gender Equity

Add to my speaker list

Award-winning gender economist and former Global 500 global executive Katica Roy is a programmer, data scientist, and the CEO and founder of an award-winning SaaS company, Pipeline. Pipeline uses advanced technology to enable companies to realize the economic opportunity of intersectional gender equity and launched the first gender equity app on Salesforce's AppExchange. Pipeline, which is backed by both Accenture and Workday, was named one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2019 and awarded Fast Company’s: 2023 and 2020 World’s Most Innovative Companies, 2021 Next Big Things in Tech, and 2022 World Changing Ideas.

CNN, MSNBC, CBS, Bloomberg, Cheddar, MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance, Wharton Business, Newsy, and NBC have sought Katica for her sharp and unconventional take on the day’s headlines.  She has interviewed President Biden, Vice President Harris, Senators Booker and Gillibrand, Secretary Pete, Canadian Pay Equity Commissioner Karen Jensen, Sophia Bush, Eve Rodsky, Gretchen Carlson, and Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings.

She has spoken on over 100 stages across the world including major stages at SXSW, CES, Web Summit, The Atlantic, and for major corporations such as JP Morgan, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Cisco, Edelman, BNP Paribas and more. Katica Roy is disrupting the business world with data-driven content that dynamically changes the audience. Ultimately compelling them to take action!

Katica’s high-octane, visionary articles have been published by the World Economic Forum, Fast Company, Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg, NBC, Entrepreneur, The Hill, The Advocate, Harvard Business Review, and Morning Consult, garnering over 2.9 billion impressions. She has received numerous accolades, including being named a 2019 Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business and awarded the 2019 Stevie Entrepreneur of the Year—Gold Award, the 2020 Colorado Entrepreneur of the Year as well as one of LinkedIn’s Top Influencer for gender equity in 2022. She is a member of Fast Company’s Impact Council, Bloomberg’s New Economy Forum, The Aspen Institute's Tech Accountability Coalition, and the US Small Business Administration’s National Women’s Business Council (as an advisor to the President, Congress, and the SBA). Katica offers illuminating insights into fixing the leaky talent pipeline, the economic opportunity of gender equity, engineering gender equity into the future of work, AI and the future of revenue, the intersection of gender equity and climate change, and more.

 

Katica Roy headshot
Katica Roy photo 3
Katica Roy photo 2
Past Hosts Include:
  • Keynote Audience Member, Florida Institute of Technology
  • United Way Worldwide
  • Thomson Reuters Foundation
  • AI Summit
  • J.P. Morgan
  • Google
  • SXSW
  • Microsoft
  • Techonomy
  • Salesforce
Rave Reviews About Katica Roy
“
Katica Roy has presented to the board and the broader community of The Women’s Foundation of Colorado twice about the economic impact of Covid on women and their families. Katica consistently provides in-depth data-driven information in a way that is compelling, engaging, and easily understood by a wide range of audiences. She uses a combination of visual and verbal presentation to explain not only the data but also the implications for women’s lives. She also addresses the impact of policies.

”
More rave reviews

"{{ovation.quote}}"

-{{ovation.company}}
Collapse rave reviews

I Am Katica Roy - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Katica Roy
Expand all >

The Pink Tax 2.0: How Tariffs Penalize Women Consumers

Best for: Trade associations, consumer rights advocates, economists Abstract: Tariff policy in the U.S. places a disproportionate cost burden on women. Women’s apparel is taxed at 16.7% compared to 13.6% for men’s—leading to an annual $2.77B gender tariff gap that inflates to $8–11B at checkout due ...

  • Best for: Trade associations, consumer rights advocates, economists
  • Abstract: Tariff policy in the U.S. places a disproportionate cost burden on women. Women’s apparel is taxed at 16.7% compared to 13.6% for men’s—leading to an annual $2.77B gender tariff gap that inflates to $8–11B at checkout due to markups. With 97% of apparel and 98% of footwear imported, the impact is widespread. Katica Roy uncovers how gender-based price disparities were embedded into trade classifications and what economic reforms can restore fairness, reduce household costs, and improve consumer equity.

The Cost of Silencing DEI: What America Stands to Lose

Best for: C-suite, investors, HR leaders Abstract: DEI isn't just a values issue—it's an economic one. DEI is not just about fairness—it’s about financial performance. Katica Roy’s original research across 4,161 companies in 29 countries shows that every 10% increase in intersectional gender equity ...

  • Best for: C-suite, investors, HR leaders
  • Abstract: DEI isn't just a values issue—it's an economic one. DEI is not just about fairness—it’s about financial performance. Katica Roy’s original research across 4,161 companies in 29 countries shows that every 10% increase in intersectional gender equity is associated with a 1–2% increase in revenue. As backlash against DEI efforts grows, Roy highlights the measurable risk to revenue and business resilience and offers a data-driven case for embedding equity as a core business strategy.

Women in Power: The Political Engine for a Future-Ready Workforce

Best for: Civic groups, public policy forums, women in leadership Abstract: Countries with higher political gender parity see stronger outcomes in education, health, and workforce readiness. Yet globally, women hold only 28% of parliamentary seats and 10.5% of head-of-state roles. Katica Roy explor ...

  • Best for: Civic groups, public policy forums, women in leadership
  • Abstract: Countries with higher political gender parity see stronger outcomes in education, health, and workforce readiness. Yet globally, women hold only 28% of parliamentary seats and 10.5% of head-of-state roles. Katica Roy explores how electing more women leads to policy environments that prepare nations for automation, care needs, and future labor market shifts.

Authoritarianism and the Economic Rollback of Women’s Rights

Best for: International audiences, democracy, and policy summits Abstract: Curtailing women’s rights often accompanies a decline in democratic norms and economic performance. A 10% drop in gender inequality is linked to a 1–2% rise in revenue. Katica Roy connects the global rollback of gender right ...

  • Best for: International audiences, democracy, and policy summits
  • Abstract: Curtailing women’s rights often accompanies a decline in democratic norms and economic performance. A 10% drop in gender inequality is linked to a 1–2% rise in revenue. Katica Roy connects the global rollback of gender rights with weakened labor participation and innovation—and demonstrates how equity safeguards both democracy and prosperity.

When the Government Stops Working, Women Pay the Price

Best for: Policy influencers, nonprofit leaders, journalists Abstract: Budget freezes and shutdowns harm women disproportionately. Women make up 69% of the lowest earners and do 2.3x more unpaid care work. Katica Roy outlines how cuts to education, healthcare, and child care disrupt economic securi ...

  • Best for: Policy influencers, nonprofit leaders, journalists
  • Abstract: Budget freezes and shutdowns harm women disproportionately. Women make up 69% of the lowest earners and do 2.3x more unpaid care work. Katica Roy outlines how cuts to education, healthcare, and child care disrupt economic security for families—and how gender-responsive policy can build resilience into government systems.

From Margins to Markets: Why Gender Equity is Critical to Growth

Best for: Corporate boards, think tanks, global economic forums Abstract: Women earn 83 cents to every dollar men earn and lead households with 45% less median wealth. These disparities reduce consumer power and restrict economic mobility. Katica Roy explains how closing equity gaps increases innov ...

  • Best for: Corporate boards, think tanks, global economic forums
  • Abstract: Women earn 83 cents to every dollar men earn and lead households with 45% less median wealth. These disparities reduce consumer power and restrict economic mobility. Katica Roy explains how closing equity gaps increases innovation, labor force participation, and GDP—turning marginalized populations into market drivers.

Fixing the Leaky Pipeline: How Gender Inequity Is Costing the U.S. Trillions

Best for: Business leaders, CHROs, economists, workforce development Abstract: Workplace inequity causes attrition, underutilized talent, and massive productivity losses. Katica Roy shows how plugging the "leaks" in hiring, promotion, and pay can restore $3.1 trillion to the U.S. economy. She prese ...

  • Best for: Business leaders, CHROs, economists, workforce development
  • Abstract: Workplace inequity causes attrition, underutilized talent, and massive productivity losses. Katica Roy shows how plugging the "leaks" in hiring, promotion, and pay can restore $3.1 trillion to the U.S. economy. She presents a data-driven roadmap to redesign talent systems for sustainable growth.

The Economic Case for Gender Equity: Why Men Must Be Part of the Conversation

Best for: Leadership teams, male allies, DEI champions Abstract: Men lead 90% of Fortune 500 companies yet are often sidelined in equity conversations. Katica Roy reframes gender equity as a shared opportunity. Her research across 4,161 companies in 29 countries found that every 10% increase in int ...

  • Best for: Leadership teams, male allies, DEI champions
  • Abstract: Men lead 90% of Fortune 500 companies yet are often sidelined in equity conversations. Katica Roy reframes gender equity as a shared opportunity. Her research across 4,161 companies in 29 countries found that every 10% increase in intersectional gender equity is associated with a 1–2% increase in revenue. She provides actionable strategies to bring male leaders into the dialogue as co-creators of equitable, high-performing workplaces.

The Cost of Inequity: What Gender Gaps Are Doing to Your Region, State, or Industry

Best for: Economic developers, industry associations, state leaders Abstract: Gender equity isn’t just a national issue—it’s a local economic lever. Closing gender gaps in workforce participation could grow U.S. GDP by $3.1 trillion and global GDP by 11%. Katica Roy tailors her analysis to your sec ...

  • Best for: Economic developers, industry associations, state leaders
  • Abstract: Gender equity isn’t just a national issue—it’s a local economic lever. Closing gender gaps in workforce participation could grow U.S. GDP by $3.1 trillion and global GDP by 11%. Katica Roy tailors her analysis to your sector or region to show how inclusive practices expand economic opportunity.

The Throughline: How Gender Equity Connects America’s Most Pressing Issues

Best for: Policymakers, educators, healthcare leaders, general audiences Abstract: Gender equity is the common thread running through education, healthcare, labor, and Social Security. With 40% of U.S. households relying on women as primary earners, underinvestment weakens entire communities. Katic ...

  • Best for: Policymakers, educators, healthcare leaders, general audiences
  • Abstract: Gender equity is the common thread running through education, healthcare, labor, and Social Security. With 40% of U.S. households relying on women as primary earners, underinvestment weakens entire communities. Katica Roy demonstrates how advancing equity can solve multiple policy challenges at once.

Engineering Equity: How AI Can Help Build the Workforce of the Future

Best for: Tech companies, HR tech conferences, future of work summits Abstract: Although many CEOs say gender equity is a top priority, only 22% of employees see it tracked. Katica Roy illustrates how AI can reduce bias across the employee lifecycle, from hiring to promotion—strengthening fairness ...

  • Best for: Tech companies, HR tech conferences, future of work summits
  • Abstract: Although many CEOs say gender equity is a top priority, only 22% of employees see it tracked. Katica Roy illustrates how AI can reduce bias across the employee lifecycle, from hiring to promotion—strengthening fairness and business outcomes alike.

The Future of DEI Is Financial: Turning Equity Into Economic Strategy

Best for: Boards, ESG investors, corporate strategists Abstract: DEI is not a cost center—it’s a revenue driver. Katica Roy delivers the metrics and market rationale for embedding equity into corporate strategy, aligning DEI efforts with ESG mandates, shareholder value, and long-term economic resil ...

  • Best for: Boards, ESG investors, corporate strategists
  • Abstract: DEI is not a cost center—it’s a revenue driver. Katica Roy delivers the metrics and market rationale for embedding equity into corporate strategy, aligning DEI efforts with ESG mandates, shareholder value, and long-term economic resilience.

Instagram  LinkedIn 
(-)
Press & Media
How Billionaires and Algorithms Are Undermining Truth and Trust - Katie Couric Media
Are Authoritarian Regimes Backtracking Women’s Rights? - Politico
Will Trump’s tariffs come with a pink tax? - Politico
Why we need more women leaders in politics for the future of work - World Economic Forum
Attacks on DEI assume a level playing field where none exists—and threaten America’s future prosperity - Fortune
The devastating impact for women and girls if the Department of Education shuts down - MSNBC
Tariffs Impact Consumers — But Women Bear the Brunt - Katie Couric
The Billions of Dollars the Current DEI Debate Is Dismissing - Katie Couric Media
How the federal funding freeze could devastate millions of mothers and children - MSNBC
Way Too Early 1/10/25 [podcast] - MSNBC
(-)
Ideas for the Meeting Planner
(-)
Biography

Katica Roy is an award-winning gender economist, former Global 500 global executive, programmer, data scientist, and the CEO and founder of an award-winning SaaS company, Pipeline. CNN, MSNBC, CBS, Bloomberg, Cheddar, MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance, Wharton Business, Newsy, and NBC have sought Katica for her sharp and unconventional take on the day’s headlines. She has interviewed former President Biden, former Vice President Harris, Senators Booker and Gillibrand, former Secretary Pete, Canadian Pay Equity Commissioner Karen Jensen, Sophia Bush, Eve Rodsky, Gretchen Carlson, and Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings. 

She has spoken on over 100 of the top stages across the world including major stages at SXSW, CES, Web Summit, and for major corporations such as BNP Paribas, JP Morgan, P&G, Cisco, Google, and Microsoft. 

Her high-octane, visionary articles have been published by the World Economic Forum, Fast Company, Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg, NBC, Entrepreneur, The Hill, The Advocate, Harvard Business Review, and Morning Consult. Her articles have garnered over 2.9 billion impressions.

Katica is the flagship expert columnist for Equity Observer, a new vertical from Design Observer led by Editor-in-Chief Ellen McGirt, the former Fortune editor and creator of the award-winning RaceAhead newsletter. Her biweekly column, Equity by Design™, explores how equity must be intentionally built into the foundations of business, technology, policy, and the economy.

Katica’s work has been cited by multiple New York Times bestselling authors across more than 10 books. Her research has also been cited in multiple U.S. congressional publications and proceedings, and she serves as a resource to policymakers. 

In 2017 Katica was named a Luminary by the Colorado Technology Association; in 2018 a Colorado Governors' Fellow; in 2019 a Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business and awarded the Stevie Entrepreneur of the Year—Gold Award; in 2020 she was named the Colorado Entrepreneur of the Year; in 2022 a LinkedIn Top Influencer for gender equity. She is a member of Fast Company’s Impact Council, Bloomberg’s New Economy Forum, The Aspen Institute's Tech Accountability Coalition, and the US Small Business Administration’s National Women’s Business Council (where she advises the President, Congress, and the SBA on funding female entrepreneurs—including oversight of the $34 billion in federal contracting set-asides earmarked each year for female founders).

Pipeline uses advanced technology to make intersectional gender parity a reality in our lifetime. Under Katica’s leadership, Pipeline created the first gender equity app on Salesforce’s AppExchange and was named one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2019. The company has also been recognized on Fast Company’s including the 2020 and 2023 World’s Most Innovative Companies, 2021 Next Big Things in Tech, and 2022 World Changing Ideas. In recognition of Pipeline’s groundbreaking work to close the gender equity gap, Governor John Hickenlooper officially declared April 10 “Equity for All® Day” in the State of Colorado.

Katica’s passion for equity is deeply personal. She is the daughter of an immigrant and a refugee, plus a proud, breadwinner mother raising a teenage daughter and son. Nearly 60 years to the day after her father and sisters climbed the stairs of Air Force One to freedom—thanks to the humanitarian intervention of President Eisenhower—Katica received a letter from another U.S. President, Barack Obama, thanking her for standing up and speaking out. It was a full-circle moment that underscored the generational impact of her work.

More ideas that might interest you:
Artificial Intelligence
Business Ethics, Responsibility & Philanthropy
CEOs & C-Suite
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Economists
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
Execution & Strategy
Future of Work
Healthcare Economics & Policy
Innovators & Entrepreneurs
New Realities: Economy
Social Media Influencers
Tech Trends
Tech Visionaries
Women Speakers
Women's History Month

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.