The story of Kat Cole is one of the most compelling and unconventional narratives in modern American business, a journey that catapulted her from a small-town Hooters waitress to the executive suite of multi-billion dollar brands. As of 2025, while the smell of cinnamon rolls still defines a pivotal chapter of her career, Cole has successfully transitioned from the fast-food world to the burgeoning health and wellness sector, now serving as the CEO of AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens).

Her tenure at Cinnabon, which began in 2010, is legendary—a masterclass in brand revitalization that transformed a struggling mall-based chain into a global, $1 billion Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) licensing powerhouse. This article provides the most up-to-date look at her full biography, the "secret sauce" of her Cinnabon success, and the high-performance leadership philosophy she is now applying to the foundational nutrition space.

The Unconventional Journey: Kat Cole's Complete Biography and Professional Timeline

Katrina "Kat" Cole's rise is frequently cited as a case study in non-traditional leadership, demonstrating that grit, curiosity, and a willingness to "say yes before you’re ready" can supersede a conventional education.

• Full Name: Katrina "Kat" Cole
• Born: March 18, 1978
• Age (as of 2025): 47
• Birthplace: Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
• Early Life: Raised by a single mother in a financially difficult environment. Began working from a young age to help support her family.
• Education: Attended the University of North Florida for a short time, but dropped out to pursue a corporate opportunity. She later earned an Executive MBA from Georgia State University without ever completing a bachelor's degree.
• First Career Role (1995–2010): Started as a waitress at Hooters at age 18. Her curiosity and willingness to take on extra roles led her to travel globally, opening new franchise locations. She rapidly ascended the corporate ladder, becoming Vice President of Training and Development by age 26, overseeing the company's growth from 100 to over 400 locations.
• Cinnabon President (2010–2017): Recruited to lead the struggling Cinnabon brand. She successfully initiated a major turnaround, expanding the brand's revenue through CPG licensing.
• FOCUS Brands Executive (2017–2020): Promoted to COO and President of North America for FOCUS Brands, the parent company of Cinnabon, Carvel, Moe's Southwest Grill, Auntie Anne's, Schlotzsky's, and Jamba. She oversaw over 7,000 operations globally.
• Current Role (2020–Present): Joined AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens) as COO in 2020 and was later promoted to CEO, leading the global health company focused on foundational nutrition support.

The Cinnabon Turnaround: How Licensing Created a Billion-Dollar Brand

When Kat Cole took the helm of Cinnabon in 2010, the brand was largely confined to mall food courts and struggling in a post-recession economy. Her revolutionary strategy was to stop thinking of Cinnabon as just a bakery chain and start treating it like a technology startup—focused on rapid, low-cost expansion through intellectual property (IP) licensing rather than slow, capital-intensive franchising.

The key insight was recognizing what Cinnabon truly owned: not just the roll, but the sensory experience. The team identified the core brand entities as the "aroma," the "soft and moist texture," and the "indulgent" feeling. Cole's new strategy was to sell the scent and taste of Cinnabon everywhere people shopped, not just where they ate.

This pivot to Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) licensing became the engine of the brand's resurgence. Instead of relying on traditional restaurant sales, Cinnabon partnered with other manufacturers to create licensed products, which generated high-margin, low-overhead revenue. The brand successfully expanded into over 70 retail products within a few years, fundamentally changing its financial model.

Key CPG Licensing Initiatives That Drove Growth

The success of the turnaround was driven by a portfolio of surprising and strategic licensing deals, leveraging the brand's powerful nostalgia and aroma. These initiatives proved that the Cinnabon experience could be delivered outside of a physical store.

• Grocery Store Products: This included Cinnabon-flavored coffee creamers, cereals, baking mixes, and ice creams, bringing the flavor into consumers' daily routines.
• Non-Food Products: Perhaps the most unconventional and brilliant move was licensing the Cinnabon scent for products like air fresheners and candles, turning the famous mall aroma into a purchasable home product.
• Strategic Food Service Partnerships: Deals with major quick-service restaurants allowed Cinnabon products to be sold in new locations, further broadening its distribution footprint.

By shifting the focus from simply selling cinnamon rolls in a mall to selling the idea of Cinnabon across multiple channels, Cole transformed the company from a struggling chain into a global, multi-channel food and beverage powerhouse within the FOCUS Brands portfolio.

From Sweet Rolls to Clean Greens: Kat Cole's Leadership at AG1

In a major career pivot, Kat Cole transitioned from the indulgent world of fast food to the health and wellness industry, becoming the CEO of AG1, the company known for pioneering foundational nutrition with its comprehensive green superfood supplement. Her move to a direct-to-consumer (DTC) health company in 2020 showcased her ability to apply her high-performance leadership principles to a completely new sector.

Her leadership philosophy, honed during the Cinnabon turnaround and her time at Hooters, is deeply rooted in authenticity, curiosity, and a "giver" mentality. She emphasizes the importance of building a strong community around the brand, a lesson she learned early in her career and applied successfully to both Cinnabon and now AG1.

The Kat Cole Leadership Playbook: 5 Core Principles

Cole's success as a turnaround specialist and visionary leader can be distilled into a few key principles that define her approach to building and scaling iconic brands:

1. "Say Yes Before You're Ready": This personal mantra drives her to take on challenges and opportunities that push her beyond her comfort zone, a key factor in her rapid ascent from waitress to VP.
2. The Power of Empathy and "Humbition": She champions "humbition"—a blend of humility and ambition—and believes that empathetic leadership, which involves listening to and learning from employees and customers at every level, is essential for innovation.
3. Leveraging IP for Low-Cost Growth: The Cinnabon lesson—finding the core essence of the brand and licensing it aggressively—is a scalable strategy for rapid, high-margin growth she now applies to other ventures.
4. Operating Like a Startup: Whether at a legacy brand like Cinnabon or a high-growth company like AG1, she advocates for a culture of agility, experimentation, and rapid iteration, similar to a tech startup.
5. Building a Community: She urges entrepreneurs and leaders to focus on building a passionate community around the brand's mission, not just selling a product. For AG1, this means championing the concept of foundational nutrition rather than just a supplement.

Kat Cole's story continues to evolve, but her legacy as the executive who transformed Cinnabon's aroma into a billion-dollar business remains a powerful symbol of modern, unconventional leadership. Her current role as CEO of AG1 positions her at the forefront of the health industry, where she is applying her hard-earned wisdom to a new generation of high-growth, mission-driven businesses.