KATARIINA FAGERINg Chief Visionary Officer

Katariina grew up in the Pacific Northwest and enlisted in the Marine Corps at 17. Over more than two decades she rose from Diesel Mechanic to Information Operations Officer, retiring as a Captain after deployments including Desert Storm and Iraq. In Iraq, she commanded up to 350 Marines and Sailors and built things that hadn’t existed before her — a magazine circulated across Al Anbar province, a local radio program, and the Iraqi Women’s Engagement Program, giving Iraqi women a direct hand in shaping their nation’s infrastructure. 

Building has always been part of who she is — a recycling route at nine, a barbershop outside Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station, a run as a wedding photographer. She holds a Master’s in Depth Psychology and Creativity from Pacifica Graduate Institute and is now pursuing her doctorate in the same field, alongside an ongoing life as an artist and writer. 

What matters most to Katariina isn’t complicated: see what’s possible, then do the work to make it real. That’s exactly what she brings to The Afekt Co.