Our Team
Each member of the Secretariat signs the Catalyst Now pledge (see below), as a commitment to ensuring the Catalyst Now membership is constantly at the forefront of our thinking.
The Commitment
This Commitment serves as an anchor for Catalyst Now team members, something to refer back to and to keep in mind when moving forward in our work. We are steadfastly committed to social justice, diversity and inclusion and require every team member to register their commitment to respecting the values and principles we uphold by agreeing to the following Declaration:
People and nature at the centre
I commit to caring for people and nature and place them at the heart of what we do. I will respect the inherent value, equality and dignity of all the people. I will centre my work around their wellbeing and growth and to stand accountable to them for my actions.
Co-creative mindset
I commit to acknowledging my own biases and silos and to seek to move beyond them. I will set aside my ego to collectively create value with others. I understand what I produce for Catalyst Now is non-proprietary.
Collaborative leadership
I commit to act in the spirit of collaboration, respect diverse opinions and are sensitive to different cultural ways of communicating. I commit to share knowledge and credit our collective impact.
Humble audacity
I commit to act with the audacity needed to achieve collaborative systems change and also with the humility to know that I cannot do this alone.
Spirit of generosity
I commit to contribute actively to the mission, vision and values of Catalyst Now with my knowledge, skills, time as needed and as possible. I commit to celebrate the shared success of achieving our collective goals. I will be accountable to other Catalyst team members’ behaviours and actions and they will be accountable to me.
Meet the Team
Members note that if you are logged into the Member Portal you will be able to see what each team member is responsible for and how to contact them directly.
Gaby Arenas de Meneses
Fredrik Galtung
Membership
Our Membership team is responsible for supporting new organizations joining the Catalyst Now community, as well as for facilitating members onboarding and engagement in the movement.
Maddalena Conte
Maria Harismendy
Maiy Shawkat
Maria Ollé
Hira Alkan
Bouchra Riahi
Lesley Wanambuko
Ecosystem Development
Our Ecosystem Development team supports members in building strong local and regional innovation communities where new ideas can grow. We believe thriving communities are built on sharing knowledge and resources, which is why we help our members develop the tools and relations they need to strengthen their local ecosystems.
Susana Ramirez
John Paul Uminga
Mykyta Pobiehun
Betina Blancato Komagata
Thu Dinh
Chantal Perez Kluin
Paula Peña
Salomon Raydan
Brian Maina
Ingrid Yitamben
Ghufran Abudayyeh
Corina Wallis
AFRICA FORWARD
Luvuyo Rani
Yogavelli Nambiar
Pearl Uzokwe
Collaborations
Our team supports members in creating impactful cross-sector collaborations and impact ecosystems. We believe trust is key to effective partnerships, which is why we focus on strengthening connections across our diverse community of members.
Avani Parekh
Lana Koubaitary
Denise Muchiri
Learning and System Change Team
By combining real-world knowledge with research, the team creates accessible learning opportunities that help members understand system change and tackle complex challenges.
Sindi Vangjelaj
Mehru Usman
Communications and shifting narrative
Eva Arcega
Verónica Rodríguez Cárdenas
Brian Nganga
Enabling Environment
The Enabling Environment team promotes strategic donor partnerships, fundraising-related collaborations and supporting different stakeholders in shifting the existing funding paradigm.
Matthew Patten
Inês Marques
Charu Raizada
José Octavio Carrillo
Abheejt Khandagale
Jill Reinen
Operations and Finance
The Operations and Finance team creates and maintains the core systems that enable Catalyst Now's global movement to succeed. The department develops efficient processes, ensures financial sustainability, and builds robust infrastructure to support the movement.
Saswati Sarkar
Edwin Bos
Quynh Anh Tran
Oluwanifemi Barakat Kafaru
