Karissa Waterworth | Agent of Change
About Me
What I Do:
I translate ambiguity into working systems. From early prototypes to production-ready platforms, I’ve led the design, engineering, and delivery of modular, scalable software—owning architecture, product direction, and execution end to end. My work spans SaaS product development, cloud infrastructure, and applied AI research, where I’ve built systems that evolve through iteration, support multiple stakeholders, and remain coherent as complexity grows. Whether developing extensible data models, deploying reliable cloud environments, or integrating neuro-symbolic approaches within semantic search, I focus on creating systems that can adapt, scale, and continue to perform as requirements, users, and contexts change.
How I Operate:
Sustainable Development with an Ecosystemic Perspective
Sustainable development isn’t just a goal—it’s a mindset. Whether addressing complex global challenges or building software, I think in terms of interconnected systems—ecosystems. Balancing immediate needs with long-term effectiveness requires an ecosystemic view that keeps the whole in focus.
Recognizing Patterns... and Their Impermanence
Patterns reveal how systems behave—but they’re never permanent. I don’t just discover patterns; I help create better ones—informed by data, aligned with purpose, and responsive to real-world needs. The goal isn’t change for its own sake—it’s transformation that makes the old systems irrelevant because the new ones serve us better.
Inventing Technology That Empowers
Technology should amplify human creativity and agency—not diminish it. Especially with AI, I design tools as collaborators—systems that support people in doing their most meaningful, expressive, and impactful work.
Leveraging the Potential of VUCA
Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity aren’t obstacles—they’re creative pressure. VUCA environments accelerate the breakdown of rigid assumptions and demand new methods of adaptation. I’m drawn to that tension because it forces better questions, cross-boundary thinking, and novel solutions. Innovation doesn’t emerge in spite of these conditions—it emerges because of them.
Slow = Smooth. Smooth = Fast.
Sustainable momentum comes from strong process. I build for agility, not rework: modular systems that evolve through rapid iteration and continuous feedback—to keep things running when foresight fails.
Lateral Thinking Fuels Forward Momentum
Complex problems rarely yield to linear solutions. I draw from multiple domains—engineering, design, philosophy, systems theory—to reframe challenges and build with depth. Lateral thinking gives me the range to approach problems from multiple angles. It’s not philosophical rumination—it’s systems logic applied sideways.
Learn More:
My ExperienceMy Research