Diaspora NZ with David Booth 
About Kathryn Zealand
Kathryn Zealand is co-founder and CEO of Skip, a US company that spun out of Alphabet's X to make powered clothing. Its flagship product, MO/GO, is a wearable powered knee device, developed with Arc'teryx, that adds leg power for walking and climbing. In 2025 Skip won a Michael J. Fox Foundation grant to study powered clothing for gait and balance.
Trained in theoretical physics, Zealand worked for the NGO No Peace Without Justice, led public hospital efficiency projects in Australia for McKinsey & Company, and developed self-sustaining agribusinesses in sub-Saharan Africa for an offshoot of the Clinton Foundation. She then became general manager for wearable robotics at X, where Skip began.
On Diaspora NZ with David Booth, she discussed starting Skip to help people stay active through ageing and injury, and how the company spun out of X.
- Talks about
- Deep Tech & Science, Founder Journey, Health & Biotech
In conversation.
1 episode
Diaspora NZ with David Booth Go straight to the good bits.
Key moments from S3 | E2 - Kathryn Zealand (Skip) on robotic exoskeletons, mobility for life, and spinning out of Google X.
- 0:41Meet Kat Zealand: Founder, physicist, and former Googler making robotic exoskeletons
- 2:07How a grandmother’s fall became Skip’s origin story
- 3:32Introducing MoGo: “An e-bike for walking”
- 5:11Why mobility technology impacts mental health and quality of life
- 7:50Partnering with Arc'teryx: From mountain trails to everyday use
- 8:44Preparing to scale: From 50 handcrafted prototypes to 10,000 units
- 10:23Navigating FDA approval and the medical vs consumer hardware divide
- 12:53The robotics software challenge: Predicting user intent accurately
- 15:58Behind the scenes at Google X: How Alphabet’s moonshot factory works
- 22:34Spinning out from Alphabet: Lessons from Skip’s journey
In their own words.
“You've got so many opportunities to quit, and you always have to do the harder thing.”
The path so far.
- Now
Founder & CEO · Skip
- Earlier
General Manager, Wearable Robotics · Google X
- Earlier
Manager, due diligence for agribusiness poverty solutions (sub-Saharan Africa) · Clinton Foundation (offshoot)
- Earlier
Led public-sector hospital efficiency projects · McKinsey & Company
- Earlier
Special Assistant to the Secretary-General · No Peace Without Justice
Sources: bggs.qld.edu.au
Skip on Day One
Skip makes powered clothing designed to help people walk and hike with less effort.
1 person · 1 episode
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