Kristen Bates has spent more than two decades leading talent acquisition and people strategy for innovative companies across aerospace, advanced manufacturing, electrification, robotics, clean energy, and other deep-tech industries. Throughout her career, she has partnered with founders and executive leadership teams to build organizations from the ground up, recruiting executive leaders and highly specialized technical talent while developing the people strategies, systems, and organizational foundations needed to support rapid growth. Her experience spans early-stage startups through commercialization, helping companies attract world-class engineering, manufacturing, operations, and executive leadership teams.
Kristen serves as Fractional Vice President of People & Talent at Atomic13, where she partners with the executive team to build the organization’s talent strategy and people infrastructure during a period of significant growth. In this role, she leads executive and technical recruiting, workforce planning, organizational development, compensation, performance management, and HR operations, helping position the company for long-term success as it commercializes its next-generation aluminum manufacturing platform.
Kristen holds a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation and is known for combining strategic talent expertise with a highly relationship-driven approach to recruiting and building high-performing teams. She is passionate about helping mission-driven companies attract exceptional talent and create organizations where people and innovation thrive together.
Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Kristen now divides her time between the Boston and New York areas. Outside of work, she enjoys Broadway, travel, mentoring emerging professionals, and spending time with her two rescue cats, Bronx and Brooklyn.
