Katalyst Leadership TEAM
Co-founder, CEO
Jasmine Geddis
Jasmine is a natural born leader, working the family businesses from a young age. After college she served in a variety of long-term care environments as a Nursing Home Administrator and launched not one, but two healthcare startups in the D.C. Metropolitan area. When her second child was diagnosed with Autism, she focused her efforts exclusively on special education advocacy for individuals with disabilities. Jasmine continues her dedication to supporting families in assessing their children’s unique needs while navigating life’s transitions.
Jasmine’s passion for connecting with people is unrivaled. She has a gift for making fast and lifelong friends, on elevators, planes, and even in line at the grocery store. She is the glue that holds dinner parties together and the friend who will answer your 2 a.m. call. Jasmine’s refreshing generosity invigorates stakeholders in navigating their tooling needs in a personable way.
Her enjoyment in serving others is only matched by her love of travel, music, and photography.
Co-founder, CTO/CPO
Shawn Geddis
In 2014, Shawn was called upon to develop the very first Apple Platform Security Certifications Program, formalizing the engineering processes for certifying products against global regulatory security standards. During his 25 year tenure at Apple, Shawn drove the engineering work for Platform Certifications and built Apple Inc.’s SECLAB (NVLAP accredited, first-party Crypto Lab) while also delivering on the roles of lab manager, tooling architect/developer, and evidence whisperer. None of that would have been possible without close, calculated, and global collaboration with engaging regulatory bodies and supportive colleagues and testing labs.
Shawn enjoys active engagement in security certification standards development and most recently with protocols and data exchange for cryptographic validations (FIPS 140-3). Shawn has performed large-scale evidence gathering for multiple decades for security certifications under Common Criteria (ISO/IEC 15408). Shawn was the original author and Chair of the iTC that developed the first version of the DSC cPP -Dedicated Security Components collaborative Protection Profile.
Shawn is driven to accelerate each stakeholder’s role in product validations/certifications with approachable tooling solutions built to rigorous specifications. He focuses on eliminating inefficiencies, streamlining the processes, and getting everyone to the finish line faster.
Shawn engages stakeholders where they are and accelerates them to where they need to be.
Program Manager
India Jensen
India hopes that in her lifetime, digital technology will take over all of our jobs (so that we can focus on what really matters!) She is passionate about streamlining daily systems so that her clients can maintain the bandwidth necessary to tackle everything else.
Joining Katalyst after a career in the Fitness Industry, India understands the importance of rigorous assessment and tailored programming. She is especially sensitive to how well products integrate into existing workflows—understanding that initiatives are only as successful as they are sustainable. Her goal as Pilot Programs Manager is to marry metrics and psychology to improve the user experience.
Outside of the office, India is busy making memories with her husband and two cats. Her black cat, Finley, is Katalyst’s official mascot and resident blogger. Her feisty calico, Lily, pops in from time to time when Finley is out of office.
Engineering Project Manager
Candy Varmer
Candy Varmer is an engineering project manager at Katalyst who enjoys looking at every detail in a creative way.
Prior to joining Katalyst, she worked over 38 years for Electronic Data Systems, Hewlett-Packard, and DXC Technology in roles which included executive administration, training, and project management of mid-sized teams.
Candy fills her free time with activities that challenge and continue to inspire growth such as leading a 100-man choir, kayaking or bicycling in nature, being artistic, and teaching firearm safety to others.
She is happy being the “wind beneath others’ wings” with the goal of helping them to shine.