Kristin Nowzek

Available to hire

I’m Kristin Nowzek, an AI strategist and business leader with 15+ years of experience bridging executive strategy with hands-on technical execution.

About

I’m Kristin Nowzek, an AI strategist and business leader with 15+ years of experience bridging executive strategy with hands-on technical execution. I founded Black Octopus AI to design, build, and operate custom AI systems that turn complex capabilities into simple, usable tools—helping clients improve efficiency, reduce costs, and unlock growth.

Previously, I served as Chief of Staff and strategy/operations leader at Cisco (Webex), bringing Fortune 500 rigor to modern, AI-enabled operations. I now lead end-to-end delivery of production AI—architecture, engineering, deployment, and iteration—building reliable automation across revenue workflows, customer engagement, and data pipelines for SMBs, nonprofits, and multi-location enterprises.

  • 15 years' experience
  • Joined September 2026

Industry experience

  • Non-Profit Organization
  • Professional Services
  • Telecommunications
  • Computers & Electronics
  • Software & Internet
  • Government
  • Transportation & Logistics
  • Energy & Utilities
  • Financial Services

Work experience· 8 roles

Vice President of Strategy and Business Development (Part-time) · Save StarlightAug 2024 – May 2026 · 1 yr 10 mos

Support the revival of San Diego’s Starlight Bowl amphitheater and a multi-million dollar restoration project. Designed and implemented an integrated four-pillar marketing strategy spanning organic social, paid advertising, engagement campaigns, and grassroots advocacy. Built AI-powered automation systems to reduce administrative overhead by 20+ hours weekly while improving donor engagement, and helped orchestrate transitions to modern fundraising platforms with data-driven campaign optimization. Architected scalable community engagement and donor management systems, including pre-sale ticket strategies and operational model modernization for long-term sustainability.

Founder and Principal Consultant · Black Octopus AIJan 2024 – Present · 2 yrs 11 mos

Build and operate production AI systems that automate revenue workflows, customer engagement, and data pipelines. Lead end-to-end delivery from architecture and system design to deployment, monitoring, and iteration. Develop multi-channel orchestration across tools such as OpenAI, CRM platforms, and automation workflows, including event-driven ingestion pipelines that normalize inconsistent data. Implement intelligent triage and guardrails for pricing/compliance/opt-outs and human handoff scenarios, with resilient execution (fallback logic, deduplication, error handling) across third-party APIs. Deliver measurable outcomes for clients, including saving 30–40 hours per week and $50,000+ annually in administrative costs, and scaling pilot implementations into multi-location deployments.

Leader, Chief of Staff and Strategy & Operations Lead, Webex · Cisco Systems, Inc.Jan 2021 – Jan 2023 · 2 yrs 1 mo

Led cross-functional transformation initiatives supporting double-digit growth targets within the Webex organization. Launched a custom CRM and sales playbook to accelerate pipeline and improve deal visibility, standardizing KPIs and forecasting across teams. Built and executed partner recruitment programs for business development managers, aligned with enterprise priorities. Provided executive-level leadership across strategy, operations, and execution to improve performance against segment goals.

Chief of Staff, Americas Service Provider and Global Enterprise Segment · Cisco Systems, Inc.Jan 2019 – Jan 2021 · 2 yrs 1 mo
Business Operations Manager, Canada Virtual Sales · Cisco Systems, Inc.Jan 2017 – Jan 2019 · 2 yrs 1 mo
Finance Manager, Western Canada & Commercial Canada · Cisco Systems, Inc.Jan 2014 – Jan 2017 · 3 yrs 1 mo
Project Engineer, Port Mann-Highway 1 Project (10-lane bridge and highway) · Peter Kiewit Sons, Co.Jan 2007 – Jan 2010 · 3 yrs 1 mo
Field Engineer, Wireline Services · Schlumberger Canada, Ltd.Jan 2006 – Jan 2007 · 1 yr 1 mo

Education

MBA · Harvard Business School2011 – 2012
BSc, Electrical Engineering · Queen's University2001 – 2006

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