Kalshi Co-Founder Says Flat Reporting Structure Speeds Decisions

Kalshi co-founder and COO Luana Lopes Lara said the prediction-market company’s flat reporting structure helps it make decisions quickly as it grows, with employees reporting directly to her or one step away.

“We are able to very quickly make decisions, and adjust very, very quickly,” Lara said. She described Kalshi as an organization without “heads of” or vice presidents, saying its reporting structure helps the company move faster.

Lara spoke at the Most Powerful Women summit in Santa Barbara, California. She said a surge in meetings, approval requests and red tape can become a problem for companies as they expand.

Kalshi has expanded into sports markets and futures markets for compute. Its growth has also drawn legal challenges: dozens of state governments claim the company is operating an illegal sports gambling operation. Kalshi argues its contracts differ from traditional sportsbook bets because users trade against one another rather than betting against the house.