Kelsea Hotvet, 38
Director of Analytics for Client Solutions
Interstates
Sioux Center, IA, United States
What Makes Kelsea an Engineering Leader
As director of analytics and data solutions at Interstates, Kelsea is helping shape how industrial organizations use data, artificial intelligence and digital technologies to improve operations and drive business outcomes.
She has played a key role in developing the company’s long-term AI and data vision, creating a repeatable product-development framework and identifying new opportunities to address manufacturing challenges through scalable solutions. Her leadership established clearer opportunity-qualification criteria and go-to-market messaging, enabling technical sales professionals to focus on high-value opportunities and helping drive a more than twofold increase in average monthly new work landed.
Leadership & Industry Contributions
Kelsea demonstrated leadership by helping define Interstates’ long-term vision for AI, data and technology as part of a cross-functional strategic-planning team. Throughout the process, she worked closely with executives, organizational leaders and advisors to understand diverse perspectives on the future needs of manufacturing clients.
By actively listening, asking thoughtful questions and identifying common themes across stakeholder groups, Kelsea helped guide the team through multiple rounds of feedback and significant revisions, including restarting much of the work midway through the process. The resulting vision established shared direction for future investments, product development and client offerings, creating alignment across the organization and helping position Interstates for the next generation of data- and AI-enabled manufacturing solutions.
Kelsea served for six years on the board of a local nonprofit mental health clinic. She also volunteers as a judge for local and state FIRST LEGO League competitions, helping encourage STEM engagement among young people.
Through her consulting work, Kelsea has helped nonprofit organizations use data to better understand donor behavior, measure program outcomes and improve decision-making. Within Interstates, she has helped educate technical sales and operational teams on identifying opportunities for data- and AI-enabled solutions, expanding awareness of how emerging technologies can create value for manufacturing organizations.
Why Kelsea Chose This Career
Kelsea has always been fascinated by finding better ways to do things. From technology and data to everyday life, she enjoys understanding how systems work, questioning assumptions and solving problems others may overlook.
That mindset led Kelsea toward engineering, analytics and technology-focused roles, where she can apply curiosity, creativity and problem-solving to complex challenges. She chose this career path because every day offers a new opportunity to learn, improve and create solutions that make a meaningful impact.
