Meet Kate Johnson | Licensed General Contractor and Age in Place Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
About 10 years ago, my brother was in a near-fatal car accident, leaving him wheelchair bound. Following this life-changing event, I sort of stumbled into an industry I never knew existed- the medical home remodeling space- and fell in love. I joined a local business, worked in various roles throughout the company and loved every minute of it. In 2020, I was expecting my first child and was over the moon with joy. It wasn’t until the ninth month that the company informed me that they had no maternity leave policy and that I would be effectively terminated upon my son’s birth. I was devastated. This series of events turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as my son was born in April that year and because of the pandemic I was able to spend all my days with him as an infant, before embarking on the next adventure of starting my own medical remodeling company in September 2020. I was able to work remotely and found it easy to balance my new family life with my passion for helping others. As the business has grown over the years and we started hiring new employees, we collectively prioritize and value work-life integration. It feels amazing to be helping people in our communities while being respected and well cared for within the workplace.

Adaptive Mobility provides home modification services to people of all ages with disabilities or mobility challenges. We specialize in wheelchair ramps and ADA bathroom remodeling from Denver to Pueblo and the surrounding communities. Not only do we help people make reasonable accommodations to their environment, we strive to be a radically accommodating place to work. Our small team of employees all face some level of disability and require time off during the work week to attend medical or mental health appointments, in addition to more fun things like weddings, travel, kids/school events and more. Every request for self-care and employee well-being is granted, support is offered and reciprocated as needed. This is the type of company we are proud to work for, and what was missing from the business I left in 2020.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My background is a hodgepodge of dreams that have finally melded into one unique and fulfilling career. My childhood goal was to become an interior designer, I’ve always liked working with my hands and I eventually ended up going to college for nursing and holistic healthcare. My career path has led me to this amazing place where I now get to combine all the things I love, which gives me purpose and passion for what I do. Medical remodeling allows me to use my creativity to design amazing, functional (and beautiful!) spaces for my clients. Some days, I get to be hands-on and install ramps, bathrooms or special needs equipment; sometimes I get to paint and enjoy the freedom to choose colors and materials for clients who “just have no idea what they want,” and would like me to decide for them. People living with disabilities usually have enough on their plates in their day-to-day lives, and living through a big remodel project can be very stressful. I bring a high level of sensitivity, compassion and understanding to their medical conditions that most general contractors don’t have. One common denominator with almost all my clients is that they don’t want their home to “look like a handicap house,” and I am able to help them come up with creative plans that reduce the stigma and ensure their safety. Having a creative mind allows me to work with all sorts of families from different walks of life, who have different budgets and goals and come up with an individualized plan for each of them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, I’d say it depends on the friend and the season! If I were to travel the state with someone visiting the area, I would grab our campervan and take them on a road trip, staying each night in a different spot. First, we would probably check out my home town of Estes Park. We would eat at Twin Owls Steak House which is now owned and run by my former high school Spanish teacher. We would camp somewhere in the National Park, before heading off the following day to Steamboat Springs to Strawberry Park Hotsprings and camp there for a night. After that, we would head a bit south and stop in Palisade for some peaches (assuming this is a summer trip!) and a short hike on the mesas. Then we would cruise on down through the San Juan National Forest for some off roading, beautiful views and another place to camp for the evening. The next day, we would head over to Alamosa and see the Sand Dunes and stay at the recreation park with a natural hot springs pool. We would wake up early to hike the dunes before they get too hot, and then head back towards Denver, stopping to eat at Big Burger World in Canon City, and Bishop Castle in Rye to see the sights and stretch our legs. We’d camp somewhere outside Colorado Springs, and stop at the Olympic Museum before heading north back to the city. I live right by the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Farms, which is always a hit for friends and family who come to visit. There is so much more to our state than dispensaries and ski resorts, and still plenty that even I (as a 4th generation Colorado native) have yet to explore.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Adaptive Mobility started in 2020 and was funded by an “angel investor,” Andy. He had the desire to help people throughout Southern Colorado and had some funds available to invest in the concept, but had no idea where to start. He registered the business name, and I took it from there- designing the logo, making the website, marketing our products and services, securing contracts and building the business from scratch. About one year into our launch, Andy connected me with his son’s friend, Mike D’Ippolito, who was getting ready to leave the military and was looking for his next career. Mike and I hit it off right away and enjoyed running things together, but we knew the business could be more if we actually took over the ownership. In 2023, Mike and I bought the business outright from Andy and have experienced explosive growth since then. We are forever grateful to Andy for his support, encouragement and mentorship throughout the past several years. Mike and I are also thankful to our spouses, Lia and Jake, for their love, support and patience as we build our dreams, learn and grow alongside the business.

Website: https://www.adaptivemobilityusa.com

Instagram: @adaptivemobilityusa

Facebook: https://facebook.com/adaptivemobilityllc

Image Credits
Photo Credits: Samantha Behrens Photography, Kate Johnson, Al Nuzzo Jr.