Tacita Morway

CTO at Applause

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

About Tacita Morway

Tacita Morway is CTO at Applause. Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.

CTO who builds AI-powered platforms that scale, from early-stage vision to enterprise adoption. Open to CTO, Chief AI Officer, or VP Engineering roles; Boston hybrid or US-remote. I lead with clarity, empathy, and a strong bias for action, aligning people to solve hard problems and move fast without losing sight of what matters. I've led teams through multiple eras of AI, from early computer vision to today's generative systems, continually evolving how I lead, build, and think as this field advances. My path hasn't been linear: I earned a BS in Computer Science, built software, studied fine arts, operated heavy machinery, and ran a landscape design business. These experiences shape how I lead with curiosity, adaptability, and a sharp focus on solving real human problems. Over 20+ years, I've guided engineering and product organizations through rapid growth and technological transformation. As CTO at Textio, I led an AI-native company serving Fortune 500 clients while we navigated the shift to generative AI. At ActBlue, I transformed and scaled the tech org from 18 to 70+ people while leading a complex platform re-architecture to support $4.8B across 130M+ transactions in a single election cycle. What I bring: - Growing and maturing high-performing teams through periods of rapid change and scale - Leading responsible AI strategy, from vision through deployment - Partnering with GTM to turn technical capability into revenue - Building security, data, and platform functions that meet business needs Currently: Providing fractional CTO services to early-stage companies while exploring the right full-time executive role. I also advise on AI strategy and coach technical leaders. Frequent speaker on AI ethics and organizational leadership, including TEDxBoston, LinkedIn Talent Connect, Mayo Clinic. Featured on multiple "CTOs to Watch" lists. If you’re tackling complex scaling or AI challenges, I’d love to talk.

Skills

  • B2B2C
  • B2B Software
  • Software as a Service (SaaS)

Additional experience

  • Fractional CTO

    Multiple Organizations | Remote

    June 2025 – March 2026

Education

  • BS, Wellesley College
  • Applied Mathematics, Brown University