Kate Damato brings healthcare and real estate leadership experience focused on growth and trusted partnerships
Henricksen, a leading national contract furniture dealer, is proud to welcome Kate Damato as Business Development Manager, Minneapolis. She brings nearly two decades of combined experience spanning healthcare and commercial real estate.
Damato will focus on expanding Henricksen’s presence in the Minneapolis market, strengthening partnerships across the real estate and design communities, and advancing strategic growth opportunities. Her relationship-driven approach is grounded in a strong understanding of how workplace strategy, capital planning, and business goals intersect.
“Kate’s background gives her a valuable perspective on the challenges and opportunities our clients are navigating today,” said Debra Barnes, Principal + General Manager – MN, Henricksen. “She understands the decision-making process from multiple sides of the table and brings the kind of energy, credibility, and collaborative mindset that will make an immediate impact in Minneapolis and beyond.”
Before joining Henricksen, Damato built a diverse career that began in healthcare, where she worked directly with patients and physicians in clinical environments. She later transitioned into commercial real estate, where she spent more than 13 years in roles ranging from independent producer to office leadership. Her experience includes tenant representation across the workplace and healthcare sectors, helping organizations navigate site selection, occupancy strategy, and long-term planning.
At Henricksen, Damato will prioritize engaging clients early in the planning process, helping align furniture and interiors decisions with broader business objectives, project timelines, and budget considerations. She will also serve as a connector across the real estate, furniture, and architecture and design communities, ensuring clients have access to the right expertise and resources from project inception through completion. She will focus on bringing the right partners into conversations early to help value engineer solutions and maximize client budgets.
“I’ve long known Henricksen as a beacon of professionalism with great people and a reputation for delivering quality solutions,” said Damato. “I was drawn to Henricksen’s product offering and entrepreneurial culture backed by national reach. It has the resources to compete at a high level while maintaining the values and identity I wanted to be part of. I’m excited to help clients make smarter decisions and to be a resource for the broader community.”
Damato sees strong growth in cross-market collaboration and using Henricksen’s national platform to deliver specialized expertise locally. She believes brand consistency, shared resources, and strategic hiring will drive opportunities in the workplace, healthcare, and emerging sectors.
Known for her approachable and inclusive leadership style, Damato prides herself on being accessible, curious, and solutions-oriented. She is an active member of MNCREW, the Minnesota chapter of CREW Network, where she has held multiple leadership roles and currently serves as co-chair of the events committee, helping organize two of the organization’s largest annual fundraising events. Outside of work, she enjoys connecting with colleagues and clients over coffee or lunch and serving as a dependable resource whenever needed.
About Henricksen
Henricksen is a full-service dealer of contract furniture and architectural walls, serving office, healthcare, education, government, senior living, and hospitality environments. Since 1962, Henricksen has been committed to providing best-in-class, full-service contract furniture and architectural solutions. Today, Henricksen is a leading national dealer with 13 offices, over 350 full-time employees and annual sales topping $375 million. With 400+ manufacturer partnerships, Henricksen offers various products, from systems furniture, case goods, seating, lounge, and conference furnishings to architectural solutions, including modular walls, flooring, lighting, sound masking, and technology equipment. Henricksen is a long-standing strategic dealer partner of HNI. HNI’s furniture portfolio includes Allsteel, Gunlocke, Hon, Kimball International, HBF, Steelcase and Design Public Group. www.henricksen.com