Our name is intentional. “Kin” refers to family and “Carta” refers to maps. When together, we’re Kin + Carta — a group of connected makers, builders and creators, who come together everyday to help our clients build experiences and plot a clear path forward in today’s digital world. Carta is what we do, Kin is who we are.
Kin+ is a series that uncovers the experiences, stories and lives of the people who make our collective “Kin” exceptional.
Have you ever questioned whether a career in consulting is for you? Mark Ardito’s been there. With over twenty years of experience transforming large enterprises to become Cloud Native companies, Mark was eager for a new challenge. And, consulting with Kin + Carta has been just the refresh that he needed.
Mark’s a humble and hungry leader, focused on being a part of executing quality work for his clients, his customers and, most importantly, his Kin. We’re honored to share his pivot into consulting with you.
I joined Kin + Carta during the first week of the firm going remote in response to COVID-19. I’ll be honest in that it was a really odd time to start a new job. Joining a new company always comes with a bit of discomfort, and the unknown of the world-wide pandemic only added to this. On top of it all, this was my first role at a consulting firm.
Prior to joining, I had been doing enterprise IT work for the better part of twenty plus years. I loved my jobs but I needed something fresh. I wanted to be challenged to grow and to think differently. I was craving continuous growth opportunities.
So when the opportunity at Kin + Carta presented itself, I was intrigued. I had been a client of the firm’s in the past and Kin + Carta felt like a different kind of consulting firm.
The work was cutting edge. The individualized career pathing and the opportunity to transform technology across industries was growth that I wanted for myself. And the people were special. The people who work at Kin + Carta are good people. I’d enjoyed being around them, as a client of theirs and in my interviews. Liking the people you work with and wanting to have a career and a friendship with them outside of work is so important to me. I wanted to enjoy and be continuously learning from who I was working with. And, I wanted to enjoy the work I was doing.
Now I had never seriously considered consulting as an option prior to this. I simply felt it wasn’t for me. There’s always been a sort of stigma around consulting, in general, and this couldn’t be further from the truth of what it’s like to work at Kin + Carta.
Since joining the firm, I have not looked back. I can truly share that working in consulting has been so much fun. I like to say that working in consulting is the breath of fresh air that I needed in my career.
There’s always been a sort of stigma around consulting, in general, and this couldn’t be further from the truth of what it’s like to work at Kin + Carta.
As Kin + Carta consultants, we are asked to work on the most crucial and technology-driven projects. Our clients do not come to us for trivial work. We are solving problems across industries and supporting our clients as they leapfrog their competitors or do something that’s industry-changing.
To be the subject matter expert that comes in to transform an industry is a huge differentiator of working in consulting. At large enterprises I’ve worked at in the past, this work was once-in-a-career. Consultants at Kin + Carta? We get to do this every day.
My role enables me to support this, and I get to flex a lot of skills along the way. As the VP of Cloud Modernization, I am responsible for how we transform large enterprises, how we help them make meaningful moves to the cloud, and how we grow our Kin. What brings me the most passion is the opportunities I have every day in this role to connect with people one-on-one. I love this about my job and feel tremendous gratitude for the relationships I’ve been able to build while working at Kin + Carta as a consultancy. I get to engage in meaningful conversations with our clients, prospective clients, and my Kin.
I find myself connecting with them to hear what’s working, what’s not working, and how we can help. And, often I gear the conversation toward how I, personally, can help. My experience working across cloud and digital industries helps me bring authentic empathy to the table when talking with them about their journey to the cloud. I know where they’re at because I’ve been there, and I love collaborating with our clients to use our collective expertise as consultants and industry experts to get them through whatever issues or challenges they are facing.
I’m often engaging in conversations about what possibilities await them in the cloud platforms. Together, we talk through common questions like: “How is my business going to thrive, by moving to a cloud, and what do I get out of it?” There’s a cost to moving a business to a cloud, so we discuss that and think through return on investment and how business units can be transformed by way of the cloud. We brainstorm the art of the possible, and these conversations energize me.
We connect on all of the above and more. We talk through how we can better empathize with our clients. We share examples of great work that we’ve implemented across industries. We brainstorm how one project can transform an organization’s bottom line. And, we lead initiatives together that transform Kin + Carta’s workplace culture.
One of my favorite initiatives being one that’s sponsored by our Wellness Committee. Since joining the firm, I’ve organized two virtual half marathons and 5K events.
I’ve also coordinated two care packages to be sent to Mark Overstreet, one of my Kin who’s on active duty in Bahrain.
I strive to be a servant leader — to focus on and support the growth and well-being of the people around me. This leadership philosophy is one that is celebrated throughout the workplace of Kin + Carta.
We spend more time at work than we do anywhere else. Why not fill your work days with exhilarating growth, incredible people, and world-changing work? That’s what I’ve been able to do now for the past two years and I’ve loved it every day. I wish everyone this same opportunity.