On the last page of every issue of Industry West, we find a Saskatchewan business person or leader to answer our version of the Proust Questionnaire. Marcel Proust made the questionnaire famous, believing that 35 specific questions could reveal a person’s true nature. We grabbed this idea—you’ve probably seen it in Vanity Fair—and made our own version. The first five questions are ours, and then we ask our subject to pick their favourite Proust questions to answer.
Say hello to Karissa Peterson, chief operating officer at IntraGrain Technologies.
- Where are you from? Holdfast, Saskatchewan
- Where did you attend school and what did you study? Valley City State University, North Dakota, 2009 – Exercise Science and Business Management, University of Mary, North Dakota– Marketing, 2012
- What is your career history? I spent the first seven years of my career in various management roles in both the retail and financial services industries. In 2017, I dabbled in entrepreneurship and co-founded
a product called Fuel Lock, which was purchased by IntraGrain Technologies in 2018. I took a role at IntraGrain in marketing and have held various positions as the company grew. I dabbled again in entrepreneurship in 2020 and co-founded another start-up called Spothot that served the restaurant industry. We were so fortunate to be part of the Conexus Cultivator but for obvious reasons, we shut down that business in July 2021. I am currently the Chief Operations Officer of IntraGrain Technologies overseeing manufacturing, product development and product support teams. I also consider my family as part of my
career history—I am a wife to Kyle, and mom to Emersyn, age four and Noah, age two. - What’s the best piece of business or career advice you have or have been given? Never forget when you came from, in business and in life.
- What’s your favourite thing about Saskatchewan? The people. I believe Saskatchewan people are some of the most resilient, resourceful, business-savvy, and not to mention nicest people you’ll ever meet!
- What is your idea of perfect happiness? The Toronto Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1967.
- What is your favourite occupation? Not my own, but I have the upmost respect for anyone in the medical/emergency services industries. These are people we look to in our greatest time of need, and we trust them with the people we love the most.
- What do you most value in your friends? That our friendship doesn’t take effort to sustain, and I can be authentically me.
- What is it that you most dislike? Stagnation—lack of activity, growth or development
- What is your motto? I have a new motto for 2022—rest is a weapon.
