Participants named for Catalyst, United Way of Central Indiana’s new initiative
United Way of Central Indiana on Tuesday announced the participants for Catalyst, a new nine-week design lab and live pitch event intended to help people and organizations test and develop sustainable solutions to community challenges.
Beginning this month, participants will meet weekly at United Way’s Indianapolis headquarters, where they will receive guided design and testing of their idea; support for building operational and funding models; peer learning; and coaching from experienced entrepreneurs, business owners, C-suite leaders, professors and mentors from both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.
At the conclusion of the lab, up to five finalists will pitch at a live event June 25 at Salesforce Tower in Indianapolis for the chance to win a $50,000 first-place prize, $30,000 second-place prize and $20,000 third-place prize. The event is presented by J.C. Hart.
The participants in the inaugural Catalyst design lab are:
Paradise Bradford, Pretty Passionate Hands Inc
Jonathan Haag, CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions
Joi Harmon, The Success Plug
Fatima Johnson
Diana Matzinger, Belisimoda Academy
Joi McCrary
LaTanya Reed, Outreach, Inc.
Barb Richardson, Indy Encore
Monica Leigh White, The Groundwork Foundation
AD Williams, Teach for America, AD1 Legacy
Charles Woods, Project WILL, Inc.
Nicole Woods, Mae’s Paige Garden
Catalyst is the natural evolution of United Way’s innovation initiatives, events and funding. It was built for people who see a clear community problem but need time, tools and support to figure out what works and then test and strengthen their ideas before launching them. The initiative is for nonprofit leaders, social entrepreneurs and mission-driven people in Central Indiana who work in or alongside human services nonprofits, agencies or community organizations – or are independent leaders ready to build something new.
This year’s participants are working to solve a wide range of challenges, including food insecurity, youth violence, creating employment opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and building support systems for caregivers, teen parents and youth experiencing housing instability, to name a few.
“The community leaders participating in our first-ever Catalyst design lab are tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing our community today,” said Fred Payne, United Way’s president and CEO. “Our goal is to give them the space, expertise and support they need to create solutions.”
Over nine weeks, the participants will learn from lecturers who will lead them through problem discovery, ideation and concept development, design, testing, financial models and budgeting, measuring impact, and pitching their ideas, among other topics.
This year’s lecturers are:
Jeni Elkins, president and CEO, FetchHappiness
Kelly Frank, president and owner, Social Legends
Noel Paul, president and CEO, Golden Medal Careers
Roger Shuman, director of strategic partnerships, Leaf Software
Maurice Simmons, program director, Purdue Innovates
Eric Stanley, president and CEO, M2N
Paul Sylvester, president and CEO, Team Sylvester
Dennis Trinkle, president and CEO, TechIndiana
Catalyst is also made possible thanks to generous sponsorship from Roche Diagnostics.