My path into project management didn't start with a certification or a bootcamp. It started in local government. I began my career as a clerk of court and spent years working my way up through public service, eventually reaching city manager. Nobody handed me a title or a framework. I just learned how to get things done, manage competing priorities, and lead people through messy, real-world problems.
When I started a family, I moved into consulting, and it was there I discovered that what I'd been doing all along had an official name: project management. From consulting I went on to lead projects at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the US Coast Guard, among other agencies — work that demanded precision, accountability, and the ability to translate complexity into action.
Today I work as a nontechnical technical PM at a global tech company, bridging the gap between strategy and execution without needing to write a single line of code. I built Project PMP because the path into this field doesn't have to be as uncertain as mine was. Whether you're switching careers, climbing out of a completely different industry, or just starting out — I want to be the guide I wish I'd had.
"I want to be the guide I wish I'd had."— Karissa Keaton, Founder of Project PMP
Clerk of Court → City Manager. Learning to lead without a framework — just real problems, real stakes, real people.
Left government, started a family, and discovered that what I'd been doing all along had an official name: project management.
Led projects at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and US Coast Guard. Precision, accountability, results.
Nontechnical Technical PM at a global tech company — and founder of Project PMP.
"I want to be the guide I wish I'd had."— Karissa, Founder of Project PMP
Real guidance that works in the real world. No fluff, no filler, no gatekeeping.
Plain English, always. If you need a glossary to understand the advice, the advice isn't good enough.
Government, admin, teaching, retail — every path into PM is valid. Including yours.
Join 500+ aspiring PMs who are already on their way. Free to start, no gatekeeping.