OUR PROGRAM

OUR PROGRAM

Tuesday, 23rd September – Eastern Time (EST)

9:00 am – 12:00 pm • Mental Health Morning at United Nations General Assembly 2025
Social entrepreneurs, NGO leaders, and frontline workers are facing unprecedented levels of burnout, financial strain, and moral injury. At the same time, leadership in social purpose organizations is under mounting pressure—navigating funding constraints, shifting donor priorities, and demands to adopt traditional business norms. These realities call for collective reflection, renewed approaches, and shared practices to protect the wellbeing and vision of those driving social change.

The program will consist of three curated sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, designed to build momentum and offer distinct yet interconnected perspectives. Sessions will include a mix of personal storytelling, expert insights, and interactive dialogue to foster reflection and peer learning.

Speakers:
• Dean, NYU’s School of Global Public Health
• Nawaraj Upadhaya, Global Mental Health Program Director, HealthRight
• Jessica Minhas, Founder, I’ll Go First
• Deborah Lee, Founder, Creaturae
• Jean Bosco Niyonzima, Ubuntu Center for Peace
• Margaret Meagher, Chief Impact Officer, Crisis Text Line
• Peter Navario, CEO, HealthRight International
• Jackie Maalouf, Vice President, International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and Founder and President, DiaLeb
• Marelisa Zuñiga, Founder & CEO, Crisalida Research and Human Development Center. Powered by SONDA

Moderators:
• Gaby Arenas de Meneses, Co-Chief Facilitator, Catalyst Now
• Francesca Raoelison, Founder, Omena
• Priti Bhattarai, Co-Founder, Perennial

Register here

Hosted by Catalyst Now, HealthRight International, Crisis Textline and NYU School of Global Public Health

Wednesday, 24th September – Eastern Time (EST)

9:00 – 11:00 am • Migration in the Americas: Challenges, Recommendations and Pathways Forward
North, Central and South America is facing increasing human mobility and migration flows driven by political and humanitarian crises, economic instability, climate stress, violence, and others. As countries across the region navigate this complex reality, local and regional actors are developing innovative approaches to integration and policy advocacy.

To spotlight these efforts and inform global agendas, the Migration and Refugees Regional Collaboration at Catalyst Now is developing a regional report that captures current challenges, promising practices, and strategic insights.

The roundtable at UNGA 2025 will serve as a key moment to convene leading voices, share early findings, and present concrete policy recommendations grounded in real-world experience.

Speakers:
• Nora Jeanne Joseph, Founder and CEO, RADIKAL and Co-Chair of Catalyst Chapter at the Caribbean.
• Caroline Kronley, President, Tinker Foundation
• Gilberto Moscoso, Advisor, Fundación Comparte
• Jesus Aguais, President, Aid for Life

Moderated by Gaby Arenas de Meneses, Co-Chief Facilitator, Catalyst Now

Register here

Hosted by Catalyst Now, Aid For Life and Tinker Foundation

12:00 – 1:30 pm • Building Community with Differences
The mission of Catalyst Now is to ‘co-create spaces where the world’s social innovators connect, collaborate and contribute to transformational change’ with the goal of creating ‘thriving communities powered by social innovation’ across the globe. Our approach is ‘weaving meaningful connections, fostering collaboration, and co-creating solutions that drive systems change.’ How? How do we do this in a way that we make use of all that is available to us, respectfully engage/build with disagreements or misunderstandings and find joy in our collaboration?

In this session, curiosity, connection, and community take center stage. Together, we’ll explore how tools of improvisation can help build stronger relationships, more inclusive environments, and resilient communities—locally and globally. Whether you feel called to speak, listen, or simply be present, this space invites you to:

• Connect across cultures.
• Explore the art of listening and being present with each other’s voices and ideas.
• Create new possibilities with people from around the world.

Speakers:
• Sue Maxam, Assistant Provost for Wellness, Pace University.
• Gwen Lowenheim, Program Founder and Coordinator, International Conversation Groups and Facilitator Training Program,   Pace University.
• Desire Wandan, Faculty Member and Media & Tech Producer, East Side Institute

Register here

Hosted by Catalyst Now, The East Side Institute, Pace University’s International Conversation Group & Facilitator Training Program and Pace’s Center for Wellbeing

2:30 – 5:30 pm • Catalyzing Change: Advancing Systems Change Philanthropy for Women and Girls (Private Event, by invitation only)
Philanthropy has a vital role to play in advancing gender equity — yet traditional approaches often fall short in addressing the structural barriers that women and girls face globally. As the world confronts intersecting crises, from climate to conflict, the need for bold, systems-level investments in gender justice has never been more urgent.

This intimate roundtable will bring together a small group of committed funders and ecosystem builders to explore how catalytic capital and collaborative philanthropy can better support transformative change for women and girls.

 Speakers:
• Sohini Bhattacharya, Senior Advisor of The Accelerator to Shift Gender Norms through Education.
• Gladys Mezrahi, Founder of The Power of Heels Foundation

Moderate by Gaby Arenas de Meneses, Co-Chief Facilitator at Catalyst Now
Interested in joining? Send us an email to events@catalystnow.net

Hosted by Catalyst Now and Myriad USA.

6:30 – 8:00 pm • Evening Networking Event for Youth (Private Event, by invitation only)
This informal gathering provides a unique opportunity to unite young people (under 35) from across the globe, fostering meaningful connections, shared experiences, and collaborative exploration. It’s a chance to engage in insightful discussions, exchange ideas, and uncover innovative ways to align efforts and work toward common goals during UNGA week.

Interested in joining? Send us an email to events@catalystnow.net

Hosted by Catalyst Now, United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Ecoinno Foundation

Thursday, 25th September – Eastern Time (EST)

9:00 – 11:00 am • Catalyst Now’s 2025 Impact Report – Powered by People, Grounded in Action, Unveiled at UNGA (Livestreaming Available)
In 2024, we launched our Catalyst Now Collective Impact Report – a reflection of collective progress, highlighting member-led initiatives and measurable impact across our global network. One year later, we return with a renewed sense of purpose, increased momentum, and even more powerful stories. This second edition features new voices, expanded collaborations, and deeper insights into how local action is driving global systems change.

As part of our broader presence at UNGA and Climate Week 2025, this high-level session will unveil the latest Catalyst Now report, showcasing data-driven impact, transformative initiatives, and lived experiences from the field.

Speakers:
• Gaby Arenas de Meneses, Co-Chief Facilitator of Catalyst Now
• Fredrik Galtung, Co-Chief Facilitator, Catalyst Now
• Kamilah Sanders, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Than Equal
• Faiz Kamaludin, Founder, AstroX
• Su Balasubramanian, International Development and Clinical Mental Health Professional 
• Sheela Patel, Founder, Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC)
• Cheryl Dorsey, CEO and Co-Leader of Echoing Green
• Kara Barnett, Managing Director Head, General Atlantic Foundation
• Sanjay Purohit, CEO and Chief Curator, Centre for Exponential Change
• Manoj Panjwani, Angel Investor and member of the Governing Council of Catalyst Now

Fully Booked
Register for the livestreaming session here

Hosted by Catalyst Now, General Atlantic and Echoing Green

3:00 – 5:00 pm • Building Shared Infrastructure Climate & Health Resilience through Innovative Finance
Climate & Health Resilience Commons -that weaves together data, financing, artificial intelligence and innovative technologies to strengthen healthcare access and climate resilience by advancing early warning systems, adaptive infrastructure, and community-driven solutions.

Register here

Hosted by Catalyst Now and Health Innovation Exchange

Friday, 26th September – Eastern Time (EST)

2:00 – 5:30 PM • Fashion Forward: Scaling Collective Innovation
Fashion Forward: Scaling Collective Innovation is a curated, invite-only convening for cross-sector leaders working at the intersection of fashion, innovation, and systemic change. While groundbreaking movements and innovations exist across the globe, they’re often siloed—what’s missing is interconnected networks that can scale solutions collaboratively, across sectors, geographies, and systems. As systemic challenges grow more complex, no single actor can solve them alone. Now more than ever, we need connective infrastructure that links innovators, aligns efforts, and bridges regions—grounded in trust and cross-sector collaboration.

This event will include a dynamic panel discussion, followed by facilitated roundtables and an open networking. At the heart of the experience are intelligence hubs—topic-based roundtables that center lived expertise, frontline insight, and bold systems-level thinking. These are not just conversations; they are hubs for reimagining the impact of collective action on the fashion industry’s role in climate action, circular design, cultural resilience, and technological transparency. Each roundtable is led by a systems thinker and community builder to ensure deep and diverse perspectives shape actionable pathways forward.

Hosted by Catalyst Now in collaboration with FIT, this gathering will help build the foundation for the Sustainable Fashion Collaborative Solutions Labs—a global initiative designed to scale innovation by connecting people, infrastructure, and ideas—grounded in equity, trust, and collaboration.. These Labs are not isolated projects—they are part of a growing ecosystem. Catalyst Now serves as the bridge between them, linking people, ideas, and infrastructure to spark systemic impact.

This is more than a convening—it’s a launchpad for deeper collective action. If you’re ready to co-create a future where the most impactful solutions are not only scaled—but seen, resourced, and led by the communities closest to the challenge—join us for this impactful event.

Speakers:
• Whitney McGuire, Founder and Managing Partner, The McGuire Consulting Group; Co-Founder, Sustainable Brooklyn
• Nova Lorriane, Top 100 Women of the Future/In AI/Metaverse/Web3, award-winning fashion designer, author, and keynote speaker

Moderated by Kamilah Sanders, Ecosystem Strategist & CEO, Greater Than Equal

Roundtable Hosts/Facilitators:
• Circular Systems & Infrastructure
  Facilitator: Marcie Greene, Assistant Professor, Fashion Business Management Program, FIT
• Materials Innovation
  Facilitator: Salvatore Giardina, Assistant Professor, Production Management, FIT
• Waste-to-Value
  Facilitator: Gautam Malik, Founder & Director, Jaggery; Catalyst Now member
• Technology & Transparency
  Facilitator: Ann Cantrell, Associate Professor, Fashion Business Management Program, FIT
• Collective Climate Action A
  Facilitator: NeedLab
     – Sameera Chukkapalli Holmes, architect, educator, and social entrepreneur
     – Jeremy Orr, Director of Litigation and Advocacy Partnerships at Earthjustice
• Collective Climate Action B
  Facilitator: NeedLab
     – Hong Hoang, Vietnamese environmental leader
     – Liangyi Chang, Climate organizer and sustainability strategist
• Cultural Resilience
  Facilitator: Rashawn Khamari Merchant, Adjunct Faculty, Department of Science and Mathematics, FIT
• Environmental Justice & Fashion Supply Chain Accountability
  Facilitator: Whitney McGuire, Founder and Managing Partner, The McGuire Consulting Group; Co-Founder, Sustainable      Brooklyn

Echoes of Fight and Light – Art Installation by Needlab
The open networking will feature a special participatory art experience by NeedLab. Needlab has designed an art installation highlighting eight powerful stories of community-driven climate action from young leaders around the world. Through storytelling, art, and dialogue, this art installation shows that together, we are stronger — and that hope, when acted upon collectively, leads to real climate impact. Needlab is a design and research organization aimed at making the built environment sustainable and resilient using human and environment-centered design strategies. They highlight existing traditional ways and unveil new ways of designing and building using local materials, social customs, cultural heritage, and the environment. Needlab’s vision is to make cities and human settlements dignified, resilient, and sustainable for all.

Register here

Hosted by Catalyst Now and the Fashion Institute of Technology

2:00 – 4:00 pm • Prevention Through Education: Building Health in a Climate-Driven Era (by invitation only)
This invitation-only roundtable will convene 20 leaders across health, education, and climate to reimagine prevention as the cornerstone of resilience. In a world where climate is increasingly shaping health outcomes, education emerges as the most powerful and underutilized tool for equipping individuals and communities to anticipate risks, adopt healthier behaviors, and build long-term resilience. 

This intimate dialogue will challenge traditional paradigms of health and climate action, emphasizing the need to move beyond treatment toward systemic prevention through knowledge, agency, and collective action.

Facilitated by
• Andrea Escobar, Founder, SoyDoy
• Gigi Maquinay, President and Co-Founder, Caring for Colombia
• Jackie Maalouf, Vice President, International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Founder and President, DiaLeb.

Interested in joining? Send us an email to events@catalystnow.net

Hosted by Catalyst Now, Caring For Colombia, Soydoy.

SPEAKERS

SPEAKERS

Jesus Aguais
President, Aids For Life

Jesús Aguais is a globally recognized social impact innovator and advocate for vulnerable populations, particularly migrants, refugees, and people living with HIV. He is the Founder and President of AID FOR AIDS and AID FOR LIFE, two international non-profit organizations that have delivered nearly $200 million in HIV medication, provided essential services to over 5 million people across 75 countries, and supported tens of thousands of asylum seekers in New York City. With a background in psychology and nonprofit management, Jesús has received numerous awards, including recognition from CNN, the United Nations, and New York’s mayor and governor. He currently serves as Chairman of the Latino Commission on AIDS and continues to lead global efforts in health equity, empowerment, and humanitarian relief.

Gaby Arenas de Meneses
Co-Chief Facilitator, Catalyst Now

Gaby Arenas de Meneses is a pioneering social innovator and entrepreneurial leader with over 15 years of experience catalyzing systemic change. As founder of the TAAP Foundation, she has transformed over 4.7 million lives globally through groundbreaking initiatives in education, peacebuilding, and social innovation. Her work has earned prestigious international recognition, including appointments as Rotary Peace Fellow (2021) and Ashoka Fellow (2014). She was named Social Woman of the Year by She Is Foundation (2020) and served as UN Ambassador for the «Network for Peace» in Latin America.

Gaby has co-founded transformative global initiatives including Catalyst 2030, The Weaving Lab, Colombia Cuida a Colombia, and NetEdu. She holds a Master’s in Development Communications from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello and specialized in Peace Studies at Chulalongkorn University. Her expertise in fostering cross-sector collaborations has established her as a thought leader in systems change. Currently, as Co-Chief Facilitator at Catalyst Now, she leads an international team across six continents, promoting innovative solutions for complex social challenges and building bridges between sectors to create lasting global impact.

Su Balasubramanian
International Development and Clinical Mental Health Professional

Su Balasubramanian is an international development and clinical mental health professional with over 20 years of experience in applying human-centered design, social behavior change, and commercial marketing approaches for social impact across global health, gender, and the consumer sectors. Her work spans HIV, gender-based violence, sexual/reproductive health, and mental health/psychosocial support, with roles including strategy consulting, psychotherapy, and leadership in high-impact programs across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Currently, Su is a psychotherapist supporting clients experiencing trauma, grief, and other mental health challenges and is also a senior strategy consultant and facilitator supporting organizations in the international development sector. She is passionate about integrating mental health into global programming. Su holds an MSW from Columbia University, an MBA in Social Entrepreneurship and Marketing from Duke University, and a BSE in Computer Engineering from Case Western Reserve University.

Kara Barnett
Managing Director Head, General Atlantic Foundation

Kara Medoff Barnett serves as Head of the General Atlantic Foundation at General Atlantic, a global investment firm powering visionary growth for entrepreneurs. Before joining General Atlantic in 2023, Kara was Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at First Republic Bank and Managing Director of the First Republic Foundation. In these roles, she galvanized people and resources to strengthen extraordinary nonprofit organizations in the Bank’s communities. From 2016-2021, Kara led American Ballet Theatre (ABT) as Executive Director, advancing innovation at America’s National Ballet Company. For nearly a decade, Kara was a senior executive at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts leading strategy, new ventures, and global partnerships. She is a Tony Award winner, a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute, a Senior Advisor on the CHANEL Culture Fund Advisory Council, a David Rockefeller Fellow of the Partnership for NYC, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In addition, Kara serves on the Global Council of American Ballet Theatre and the Duke Arts Advisory Board, and she is President of Sadler’s Wells America. Born and raised in North Carolina, Kara attended Duke University and received her MBA from Harvard Business School.

Sohini Bhattacharya
Senior Advisor of The Accelerator to Shift Gender Norms through Education

Sohini is a senior advisor to the Accelerator for Shifting Gender Norms Through Education, building a collaborative of successful and evidence-based interventions shifting gender norms through the school system across the globe.

Sohini has been working in the development sector for 30+ years. Closely connected to the Women’s Movement in India, she has co-founded a Gender Resource Centre, worked on economic empowerment of women and market-artisan interfaces. Sohini has a rich experience in institution building across South Asia for Ashoka Innovators for the Public for 10 long years.

She was the India strategy advisor for the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network from 2010-2013. Sohini is a founding member of the Coalition for Good Schools – Voices from the South, and co-chairs the Award Committee for Catalyst 2030, a global movement of social innovators focused on SDGs. Only recently Sohini was the CEO of Breakthrough, an organisation focused on transforming gender norms and building the leadership of young people to prevent gender- based violence. Sohini has worked in Breakthrough to build a wide portfolio of supporters and partners since 2010.

Sohini is an advisory board member at Ignite Philanthropy, a philanthropic fund that supports bold efforts to ensure every child lives a life free from violence and a board member of The Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre For Women (ARROW), a regional women and young people’s organisation that advocates for youth leadership on sexual and reproductive health issues. Sohini is also a member of the Global Reference Group of the Spotlight Initiative, the United Nations high-impact initiative to end.

Priti Bhattarai
CEO of Perennial, Hyakusho Enterprises, and RootSpring

Priti Bhattarai is the CEO of Perennial, Hyakusho Enterprises, and RootSpring. Her work centers on transformational leadership, with a focus on wellbeing, reflection, and sustainability as the foundations for social impact. Founded by Dr. Britt Yamamoto, Perennial advances the approach outlined in his book The Soil of Leadership: Cultivating the Conditions for Transformation and the Leadership 3.0 model, which emphasizes inner capacities, awareness, and regenerative practices as essential for systems change. Priti carries this work forward with leaders across Asia, Africa, Latin America and North America, creating programs that cultivate resilience, deepen connection, and foster communities of trust and care.

Jean Bosco Niyonzima
Co-founder and Executive Director, Ubuntu Center for Peace

Jean Bosco Niyonzima is a Rwandan medical doctor, social entrepreneur, and trauma healing expert. He holds an MD from the National University of Rwanda, an MPH from the University of Liverpool, an MA in Sustainable Development, and a diploma in the Psychosocial Foundations of Peacebuilding from SIT Graduate Institute, USA.

With over 12 years of leadership experience across seven African countries and the UK, he has worked with Save the Children International, International Medical Corps, Last Mile Health, and Partners In Health. His expertise spans health systems strengthening, mental health, psychosocial healing, and public health innovation in complex settings.

As co-founder and Executive Director of the Ubuntu Center for Peace, he pioneers a community- based social healing model integrating breath-body practices, collective narrative therapy, and indigenous rituals. Passionate about Ubuntu-driven solutions, he bridges science and traditional wisdom to transform trauma into resilience and collective growth.

Ann Cantrell
Associate Professor, Fashion Business Management Program

Ann Cantrell is both an entrepreneur and an academic. She has owned a modern general store in Brooklyn, NY for the past 18 years (Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store in Park Slope) and also teaches full time in the Fashion Business Management Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology for the past 15 years. Between her shop and her work at FIT, she has been interviewed & quoted in several worldwide publications including The New York Times, USA Today, Forbes, BBC World News, NBC News, MSNBC, ABC Nightly News, Associated Press and more. She has her MBA with a concentration in Sustainability and is a big proponent of the triple bottom line in all facets of business. Ann received the Changemaker Award at FIT last year for her contributions to sustainability on campus.

Liangyi Chang
Climate Organizer and Sustainability Strategist

Liangyi Chang is a climate organizer and sustainability strategist from Taiwan who has spent over 15 years weaving movements across Asia. From leaving a medical career after witnessing climate devastation in Samoa to joining an Antarctica expedition, he has built bridges between grassroots hope, shrinking civic spaces, and global policy arenas. Today, he translates sustainability into lived practice, across governance, culture, and public imagination, while cultivating the next generation of climate leaders.

Sameera Chukkapalli Holmes
Founder, Needlab

Sameera Chukkapalli Holmes is an architect, educator, and social entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in sustainable development and ethical leadership. She founded Needlab to shape inclusive, resilient communities through participatory civic engagement. Her work centers marginalized voices, advancing social cohesion and sustainability. Recognized as an Obama Leader, Fast Company World Changing Ideas Finalist, UNDP Hackster Impact Award recipient, and the youngest architect to design for Barcelona Design Week, she demonstrates design’s power for justice worldwide.

Bill D’Arienzo
Chief Brand Officer & CEO, WDA BrandMarketing Strategies; Professor of Brand Management, FIT

Bill D’Arienzo is the Chief Brand Officer & CEO of WDA BrandMarketing Strategies, & founded & lectures in the Brand Management Certificate program @ FIT/NYC. Bill specializes in creating Brand Names & Narratives, Business Strategies & Fashion Law including Consumer Surveys & Expert Opinion Reports. He also serves as U.S. strategy adviser for Ambrosetti, the # 1 think tank in Italy for luxury goods & in the top 100 of global business consultancies.

Cheryl L. Dorsey
President of Echoing Green

Cheryl L. Dorsey is the president of Echoing Green, a nonprofit supporting emerging social entrepreneurs. She became the first Echoing Green Fellow to lead the organization in 2002. Cheryl is also a social innovator, founding The Family Van, a mobile health unit in Boston, through her 1992 Echoing Green Fellowship. She has served as a White House Fellow in two presidential administrations and held roles at the U.S. Department of Labor. Cheryl serves on boards including The Bridgespan Group and the Skoll Foundation. She holds a medical degree from Harvard Medical School, a master’s in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School, and a bachelor’s from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges. Cheryl advocates for racial justice and equity in philanthropy, co-authoring the 2020 report «Racial Equity and Philanthropy.» She has received numerous awards, including the Pfizer Roerig History of Medicine Award and Robert Kennedy Distinguished Public Service Award. In 2019, she was named a Schwab Foundation Social Innovation Thought Leader.

Andrea Escobar
Founder, Soydoy

Andrea Escobar Hoyos is a Colombian social entrepreneur and systems innovation leader dedicated to transforming lives and strengthening the social innovation ecosystem in Colombia and Latin America. As co-founder and general director of Soydoy, she has spent 17 years promoting integral well-being through healthy, sustainable, and accessible food systems, impacting over 47,000 people across 14 regions of the country. 

In 2024, Andrea was honored as Woman of the Year in Health by the She Is Foundation and received the Special Mention Award for Women + Leadership + Health from Mpodera in Salud by Afidro. She is also an Ashoka Fellow, Acumen Fellow, and Global Good Fund Fellow, having been named International Fellow of the Year 2018 by the latter.

Fredrik Galtung
Co-Chief Facilitator Catalyst Now

Fredrik Galtung is a leader in international development with over two decades of experience transforming governance, accountability, and community empowerment. As Founder and CEO of TrueFootprint, he pioneers innovative approaches to regenerative agriculture by centering community agencies and facilitating collaborations between project developers and global food businesses.

His groundbreaking work at TrueFootprint combines community-driven development with cutting-edge technology, generating trusted consumer insights from over 100 million users across 60 markets. A founding member of Transparency International, Fredrik also co-founded Integrity Action, which has revolutionized bottom-up monitoring of development projects, impacting over 3.4 million people through partnerships with governments, corporations, and development agencies.

Recognized as an Ashoka Fellow, Fredrik’s expertise extends to academia and capacity building, where he has trained hundreds of social entrepreneurs and government officials in integrity reforms leadership. Currently, as Catalyst Now, Co-Chief Facilitator, he continues to pioneer approaches that bridge community empowerment, technological innovation, and sustainable development, establishing new paradigms for accountability and social impact in global markets.

Salvatore Giardina
Assistant Professor, Fashion Institute of Technology

Salvatore Giardina, a Brooklyn native and alum of the Fashion Institute of Technology, brings over 30 years of industry expertise to his role as an assistant professor at FIT. Having worked with prestigious menswear companies such as Hartmarx, Gruppo GFT in Italy and Jhane Barnes, his vast experience spans production, supply chain, sales and design. Salvatore’s lifetime achievements were honored with the Ragusani Nel Mondo award in Italy, representing USA. A U.S. Navy veteran, Salvatore was an E-5 Quartermaster whose role was navigation and weather reporting aboard a destroyer.

Melody Goodman
Dean, NYU’s School of Global Public Health

Melody Goodman is a leading biostatistician and research methodologist, dean of the NYU School of Global Public Health.

Goodman has been a member of the School of Global Public Health faculty since 2017 and has served as its interim dean since March 2024.  Goodman’s research focuses on improving public health using approaches to engage partners outside of academia and move beyond defining problems to develop solutions. She has published more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles, with contributions spanning the areas of prevention, treatment, intervention, and policy, and authored two books on biostatistics and research methods. She is a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, a member of the American Public Health Association, a fellow of the American Statistical Association, and is the recipient of many awards and honors. 

Prior to becoming the interim dean at the NYU School of Global Public Health, Goodman served in numerous academic leadership roles, including senior executive vice dean, vice dean for research, associate dean for research, and interim chair of the Department of Biostatistics. She joined NYU from Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, where she was an assistant professor in the Division of Public Health Sciences in the Department of Surgery, and was previously an assistant professor of preventive medicine at Stony Brook University’s School of Medicine. 

Goodman earned her undergraduate degree summa cum laude from Stony Brook University, where she was named a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her master’s degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and her PhD from Harvard University.

Marcie Greene
Assistant  Professor, Fashion Business

Marcie Greene is an Assistant Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is actively involved in the President’s Council on Sustainability, and she was recognized with the 2021-22 President’s Award for Faculty Excellence. She empowers students with critical thinking skills, shaping the future of sustainable fashion education.

Hong Hoang
Environmental Leader

Hong Hoang is a Vietnamese environmental leader with over 20 years building climate movements under some of the world’s most repressive regimes. Her activism led to her imprisonment in 2023, sparking the global #FreeHong campaign that helped to secure her release. Now based in the U.S., she continues to champion climate justice and mentor a new generation of activists. A Climate Hero, Forbes Vietnam’s 50 Most Influential Women, and an Obama Scholar, Hong inspires through resilience, wit, sharp storytelling, and unwavering belief in people power.

Nora Jeanne Joseph
Founder and CEO, RADIKAL and Co-Chair of Catalyst Chapter at the Caribbean

Nora Jeanne Joseph is a Haitian-American social entrepreneur and the visionary founder of RADIKAL, a Haiti-based social enterprise dedicated to helping women achieve socioeconomic independence. As a recognized Ashoka Fellow, she is a driving force behind innovative solutions to food insecurity.

Today, RADIKAL is a leader in combating food insecurity by empowering street food vendors in Haiti, transforming them into effective micro-entrepreneurs. This initiative serves a dual purpose: it provides a stable and dignified livelihood for women while ensuring that communities have access to affordable, healthy food. Beyond its core mission, RADIKAL aims to leverage technology for efficient product manufacturing and distribution while prioritizing environmental respect and restoration. The organization has also launched several regional initiatives, including a project focused on providing support and livelihoods for women in migratory situations.

Nora is a Vital Voices Global Fellow and a Global Advisor for How Women Lead. Her work has been highlighted in publications like Forbes and The Haitian Times, and in 2024, she was featured in a UN Partnerships exhibit, «Portraits of Progress : Women Powering the Global Goals»; at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Faiz Kamaludin
Founder of AstroX

Dr. Faiz Kamaludin is a social innovator and advocate for transformative change, blending over 30 years of experience in aviation with a passion for empowering communities. As Co-Chair of Catalyst Now ASEAN and Malaysian chapter and founder of initiatives like AstroX and Spacevio, he champions collaborative solutions to global challenges through education, innovation, and sustainability. With a PhD in Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, Dr. Faiz’s work focuses on fostering equitable ecosystems and driving progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), earning him recognition for his impactful contributions to social change.

Rashawn Khamari Merchant
Adjunct Faculty, Fashion Institute of Technology

Rashawn Merchant is an adjunct faculty member at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Rashawn teaches climate change and is deeply passionate about topics such as climate and environmental justice. In his own educational pursuits, he is a doctoral student at Columbia University, Teachers College, and is conducting research on best practices to integrate climate education into public school systems. Rashawn is committed to making climate change knowledge accessible and specializes in educating non-scientists.

Caroline Kronley
President, Tinker Foundation

Caroline Kronley is the President of the Tinker Foundation, which supports civil society organizations in Latin America in the areas of democracy, education, and the environment. Previously, she served as a Managing Director of Strategy at the Rockefeller Foundation, leading the development of new programmatic initiatives. She has also worked as a strategy consultant at Katzenbach Partners and Booz & Company. Caroline began her career working in the nonprofit sector in Mexico. She graduated from Haverford College with a degree in history and a concentration in Latin American studies and holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

Deborah Lee
Founder, Creaturae

Deborah Lee is the founder of Creaturae, a trauma-informed consulting and coaching practice that supports high-pressure sectors—including law, tech, finance, and first responders—through somatic science, embodied leadership, and psychological safety. 

She is currently pursuing her M.A. in Clinical Psychology at Columbia University, where her research bridges neuroscience, the ethical application of AI in mental health, and the legal frameworks shaping human relationships and emerging human–AI interactions. 

Deborah is currently developing AI Empath, which explores the potential of empathetic, ethically guided AI to address the global loneliness epidemic, expand access to emotional support, and strengthen resilience to foster deeper human connection. Drawing on both her academic training and lived experience as a trauma survivor, she integrates embodied healing, organizational wellbeing, and innovative approaches to resilience.

Nova Lorraine
Award-winning Fashion Designer, Futurist, and Author

Nova Lorraine is an award-winning fashion designer, futurist, and author recognized as LinkedIn’s Top 100 AI Creator and one of the Top 100 Most Inspirational Women in AI & Web3. She merges psychology, fashion, and technology through House of Nova and her debut collection Woven Dreams at New York Fashion Week—a bold step into the future of couture. Nova is also the creator of Aurra.ai, founder of TRIB., and author of The Jockey on the Horse: AI and the Future of Creativity. She has spoken at Google Techmakers and Johns Hopkins University. Her work has been seen in Forbes, Essence, Italian Vogue, and The View.

Gwen Lowenheim
Academic Conversation Coordinator, Pace University

Gwen Lowenheim is Pace University’s Academic Conversation Coordinator, where she designs and facilitates International Conversation Groups and Facilitator Training Programs that help faculty and students build meaningful relationships across cultural and linguistic differences. A learning design specialist, teacher trainer, and organizational developer, she works with educators and social entrepreneurs around the world to bring social and emotional development into classrooms, organizations, and community-based programs.

Gwen is also on the faculty of the East Side Institute, which hosts Performing the World, a global gathering of practitioners using play, performance, and the arts for social transformation. She co-founded the Yes, and…Higher Education Network and has led numerous workshops, including the series Everything is a Remix. Her programs integrate theatrical improvisation, philosophical exploration, remix, and group play to support student success, collaborative teams, leadership, language learning, and stress reduction.

Jackie Maalouf
Vice President, International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Founder and President, DiaLeb

Jackie K. Maalouf is the Co-Chair of MENA and founder of the Lebanon Chapter at Catalyst Now, serving on the Catalyst Governing Council since 2022. She is Vice President of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) for 2023-2025 and president of DiaLeb, Lebanon’s National Diabetes Organization, which she co-founded in 2011. Dr. Maalouf is dedicated to promoting sustainable health, organizing awareness campaigns, and developing programs for those living with diabetes. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Relations & Communications from the University of Corllins, Virginia, USA. An educator at the American University of Beirut and AUCE, Dr. Maalouf is a passionate advocate for social innovation. Fluent in four languages, she excels in fostering global communication and collaboration. Guided by the principle “Being the Change,” she has earned multiple awards for her dedication to empowering communities and driving positive social change.

Gautam Malik
Founder, Jaggery

Gautam Malik is the Founder of Jaggery: Reimagining Waste, a women-led social enterprise that transforms industrial waste into high-quality commuter gear, home decor, and accessories, while generating dignified jobs for underserved communities in India. With a background in Architecture (Pune University) and an MFA in UX Design and Film (SUNY Buffalo), Gautam blends aesthetics, systems thinking, and storytelling to address climate action and social equity.

He has spoken at TEDx, been featured by the Clinton Global Initiative, and recently led Jaggery to earn its Circular Product Manufacturing Certificate from the Ministry of Textiles. Under his leadership, Jaggery debuted at Lakmé Fashion Week, collaborated with HCL Foundation, and partnered with Mercedes-Benz India on upcycled gifting. Gautam is also part of the Clinton Global Initiative, Ellen MacArthur Foundation Community, and Acumen Academy, and works closely with grassroots organizations to amplify circularity in India.

With over 12 million car seat belts projected to enter Indian landfills annually, Gautam is building a robust material recovery and design innovation ecosystem to intercept and upcycle waste at scale — not just as a business, but as a cultural movement.

Gigi Maquinay
President and Co-Founder, Caring for Colombia

Gigi Maquinay is a Colombian-Belgian artist, painter, and sculptor whose work has been exhibited in Europe, Latin America, and the United States. She sees philanthropy as an extension of her creativity, channeling the same vision that informs her art into her social impact work.In 2003, after moving to New York with her husband, Christian Deseglise, she co-founded Caring for Colombia, a nonprofit that connects U.S. donors with grassroots, high-impact initiatives across Colombia. Guided by her dream of building a country where vulnerable communities are supported by strong and effective social organizations, Gigi has spent more than two decades mobilizing resources and partnerships to advance education, health, peace, and community development.

Sue Maxam
Assistant Provost for Wellness, Pace University

Sue Maxam is the Assistant Provost for Wellness and has worked at Pace University for the past 36 years in a variety of leadership and teaching roles relating to wellbeing, social justice, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, cultural intelligence, and student success. Sue holds a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership with a focus on Social Justice and has done volunteer and educational outreach work in the U.S., Latin America, and Africa, which aligns with her life’s mission to “be the change” she wants to see in the world! A certified Moral Courage Mentor, Sue is the proud recipient of regional, statewide, and national women’s leadership, social justice, education, and diversity, equity and inclusion awards for her advocacy work. She is the co-chair of the newly formed global Civic Learning Council to advance the civic leadership, experiential education, and social impact work that college students carry out globally!

Whitney McGuire
Founder and Managing Partner, The McGuire Consulting Group

Whitney McGuire, Esq. helps organizations in arts and culture rethink their impact on people and the planet. The former inaugural Associate Director of Sustainability at the Guggenheim, lawyer, founder, and professor, she combines systems thinking, design, cultural savvy, and legal expertise to create lasting change.

As co-founder of Sustainable Brooklyn, she has challenged harmful systems and built pathways for communities historically shut out of sustainable solution-making. At the Guggenheim, she integrated responsible practices into daily operations, ensuring long-term alignment between mission and impact on people and planet.

As faculty member at Parsons, she equips future leaders with the tools to balance business priorities with societal well-being. Through her consultancy, The McGuire Consulting Group and roles as a board member of the Scherman Foundation and mentor with Black Girl Environmentalist, Whitney continues to bridge institutional efforts with collaborative leadership, driving collective action for a more just and thriving world.

Margaret Meagher
Chief Impact Officer, Crisis Text Line

Margaret Meagher is the Chief Impact Officer at Crisis Text Line, a small non-profit with out-sized global social betterment footprint, supporting 16+ million text-based mental health & crisis conversations worldwide since 2013. She leads AI/ ML/ NLP innovations and solutions-oriented research science to analyze millions of mental health conversations, and related impacts of its volunteer crisis responder training on 100k+ volunteers and their communities. With 20+ years’ experience in large-scale social impact across languages and cultures, she leverages the most powerful tools available to generate insights and measure the effectiveness and international impact of Crisis Text Line’s services and model. Margaret has deep experience in AI for Good, mixed-methods research, & impact assessment, with expertise leading complex programs and building collective impact networks worldwide. Before Crisis Text Line, Margaret led high-impact portfolios at organizations like Mastercard Foundation and Care International, working with governments & institutions including UNGEI, UNESCO, FAWE, African Leadership Academy, and Brookings Institution.

Gladys Mezrahi
Founder, The Power of Heels Foundation

Gladys Mezrahi was born and raised in Colombia, where she launched her entrepreneurial journey with Advanced Cosmetics, a company she successfully led for 15 years before selling it to a major skincare corporation. Her career then evolved into Private Wealth Management at Pioneer International, but her true calling emerged through her passion for Marketing Through Events. This led to the creation of Indigo Events, where she has worked with prominent clients including Visa, the Miami International Book Fair, the Related Group, The Disney Institute, the Organization of American States, the Museum of Modern Art in Colombia, Komatsu, Aish, among others.

Gladys is also known today as the founder and driving force behind The Power of the Heels Foundation, an international movement and non-profit organization dedicated to empowering young women and girls through education, mentorship, and opportunity, the foundation equips women and young girls to own their voices, elevate their value, and transform their lives and their communities. Gladys, has championed a more inclusive and equitable world for women. As a bold advocate and mentor, she breaks barriers and opens doors through advocacy, narrative building, partnerships and collaborations, always driven by one core belief: when women rise, communities thrive. She is also the author of an award-winning book and co-author of a bestseller.

Gilberto Moscoso
Advisor, Fundación Comparte

Gilberto believes in the power of partnerships as a driving force for change. He has dedicated his career to elevating the role of civil society organizations and grassroots initiatives in addressing humanitarian and development challenges within their own communities.With over a decade of experience, Gilberto has advised philanthropies, international NGOs, and UN agencies on mobilizing resources, funding, and technical assistance to strengthen local systems and build the resilience of community-led groups across Latin America.

He currently serves as an Advisor to Fundación Comparte, where he contributes as a thought partner in advancing locally led solutions that reduce inequality gaps and foster social cohesion between migrant and host communities in Colombia. Gilberto earned a Master of Public Administration in Development Practice from Columbia University and is currently based in New York.

Peter Navario
CEO, HealthRight International

Peter Navario is CEO of HealthRight International, a global health NGO dedicated to improving health outcomes among marginalized communities around the world. Peter is also a Clinical Associate Professor at NYU’s School of Global Public Health, where he teaches courses on Global Health, Health Economics, Global Health Diplomacy, and Health Policy.  Peter was previously a Technical Advisor at the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and a Fellow in Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations. Undergirding his more recent work on policy and thought leadership is ten years in the field implementing and evaluating HIV prevention, care and treatment programs in more than 20 low- and middle-income countries. Peter has written on AIDS policy, GBV, mental health, and other global health issues in various publications including the Lancet, Lancet Psychiatry, BMC Public Health, Frontiers in Public Health, and Lancet Regional Health – Europe.

Jeremy Orr
Director of Litigation and Advocacy Partnerships at Earthjustice

Jeremy Orr is the Director of Litigation and Advocacy Partnerships at Earthjustice, the nation’s premier nonprofit public-interest environmental law organization. He leads strategy to connect frontline communities with attorneys, ensuring those most impacted by pollution and climate change help drive legal action. Through trust-based collaboration, Jeremy strengthens community power, advances climate and environmental justice, and protects the collective right to clean air, safe water, and a healthy future.

Sheela Patel
Founder, Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC)

Sheela Patel is the founder and Director of the Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC), an NGO that has been working since 1984 to support community organizations of the urban poor in their efforts to access secure housing and basic amenities and seek their right to the city. She is widely recognized – nationally and internationally – for seeking urgent attention to the issues of urban poverty, housing and infrastructure onto the radar of governments, bilateral and international agencies, foundations and other organizations. SPARC has been working in alliance with two Community Based Organizations –National Slum Dwellers Federation (NSDF) and Mahila Milan (women’s collectives in slums) that are active in 70 cities in different states of India.

Manoj Panjwani
Angel Investor and member of the Governing Council, Catalyst Now

Manoj is a social impact leader focused on innovative and catalytic solutions that seek to make the world more equitable.  He is particularly passionate about impact investing and other financing models, collaborative movements, and initiatives linked to mental health, gender equity, and youth empowerment. 

His engagement in the sector includes being an advisor/mentor in the areas of strategy, ecosystem building, and governance; creating solutions that focus on mobilizing capital flows into the sector; and being an early stage investor in start-ups. 

He draws on his prior international experience and expertise in financial services, gathered from a 25+ year career with HSBC in developed and emerging markets across Asia, Europe and North America.

In addition to Catalyst Now, Manoj serves on multiple non-profit boards.

Sanjay Purohit
CEO and Chief Curator, Centre for Exponential Change

Sanjay Purohit is CEO and Chief Curator of Centre for Exponential Change. He has 35+ years of diverse experience spanning corporate and development sectors. Since 2016, he has been co-creating Societal Thinking, an approach to resolve complex societal challenges with speed, at scale, sustainably. He has engaged with 500+ Change Leaders across 20+ countries with Societal Thinking in domains such as climate action, education, gender equity, healthcare and livelihoods. The core ideas of Societal Thinking are encapsulated in his Think Books. He is mentor and co-founder of apurva.ai, a platform to amplify the collective wisdom of communities with AI. He serves on the Board of Advisors of Don Norman Design Award that champions humanity centred design, the United Nations DPI Safeguards Initiative, and Fundamentum, a scale investment fund.

Francesca Raoelison
CEO and Chief Curator, Centre for Exponential Change

Francesca Raoelison is a social entrepreneur, educator, and advocate dedicated to breaking the cycle of verbal, emotional and psychological abuse through Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), somatic breathing and community-driven interventions. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Omena, a survivor- and youth-led organization that has empowered more than 20,000 youth, educators, and parents across Madagascar and beyond to build emotional intelligence and resilience.

Her work grew out of a personal connection to Omena’s mission, turning lived experience into action through SEL-based education programs, national advocacy campaigns, and partnerships with institutions like UNICEF and Madagascar’s Ministry of Education and Health.

Francesca holds a degree from Brown University and a Master’s in Business Creation from the University of Utah. Recognized as a Dalai Lama Fellow, Echoing Green Fellow, and Clinton Global Initiative Mentor, she has been featured in Forbes, UNICEF, TEDx, and the Boston Globe as a global voice on mental health, education, and systemic change.

Kamilah Sanders
Chief Executive Officer, Greater Than Equal

Kamilah Sanders is an award-winning Global Strategist and Ecosystem Weaver with over 25 years of experience in marketing and executive leadership. She is the CEO of Greater Than Equal, an action-driven think tank helping leaders maximize their impact through self-awareness and strategic action. As an advisor and ecosystem builder, Kamilah specializes in helping leaders realize their vision for impact by facilitating large-scale projects and curating events that redefine the future of global collaboration connecting diverse networks, shifting power dynamics, and accelerating social innovation.

Kamilah is the visionary behind HauteLink, which leverages technology to build interconnected ecosystems and drive future-focused innovation. As a prominent voice in technology, sustainability, and leadership, she co-hosts AI for Creatives podcast and hosts Fashion Futurist, which explores the intersections of humanity and technology while serving as an innovation-driven communication platform drawing on emerging technology to future proof social impact.

As a member of the Governing Council for Catalyst Now, she facilitates collaborations that accelerate social innovation and equity-driven change. Known for her ability to navigate complex systems, Kamilah’s mission is to connect disparate groups and amplify the voices of marginalized communities for real world impact.

Nawaraj Upadhaya
Global Mental Health Director, HealthRight International

Nawaraj Upadhaya, PhD is a public health researcher and mental health system specialist. Dr. Upadhaya is currently working as Global Mental Health Director at HealthRight International, New York, USA where he provides strategic and technical support in mental health and psychosocial support programming. Dr. Upadhaya is also associated with the Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark as Associate Researcher. He has over 20 years’ experience in community health, mental health and public health systems. He has experiences of working in humanitarian settings in Afghanistan, Burundi, Nepal, Uganda and South Sudan. He has also supported the programs in Kenya, Vietnam, Ukraine and the USA. He co-directed the scaling up grant on Self Help Plus (SH+) in Uganda and also coordinated the Nepal program for a large multi-country consortium project called Emerging Mental Health Systems in Low- and- Middle Income Countries (EMERALD). He also coordinated the Post Research Ethics Analysis (PREA) project in Afghanistan, Nepal and South Sudan. Dr. Upadhaya’s work focuses on community mobilization, community system strengthening, mental health systems, community mental health and policy engagement. He has published more than 30 papers in international journals.

Desire Wandan
Faculty Member and Media & Tech Producer, East Side Institute

Desire Wandan is a faculty member and Media & Tech Producer at the East Side Institute.   A skilled multimedia content creator and videographer, he produces short videos, documentaries, and the https://eastsideinstitute.podbean.com/. Additionally, Desire serves as the Institute’s tech producer (“Z-Jay”) and volunteer coordinator for its online programs. A passionate advocate for Hip-Hop culture, Desire is a talented dancer and active teaching artist, sharing his love for the art form with communities across New York City.

Marelisa Zúñiga Noel
Founder & CEO, Crisalida Research and Human Development Center. Powered by SONDA.

Marelisa Zúñiga Noel is an Organizational Psychologist with over 25 years of experience working in multinational corporations such as CEMEX Monterrey, General Electric, and Nestlé. During her 10-year career at Nestlé, she held leadership roles focused on people management, innovation, continuous improvement, and change management, and she also had the opportunity to serve as Head of Organizational Development for the Americas region, based in Switzerland.

Her journey into research and development in the fields of health and holistic well-being began during her time at CEMEX Monterrey. Since then, she has specialized in social research and the study of how well-being impacts the productivity of institutions and organizations.

In 2013, she founded CRISALIDA Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Humano Integral, with the mission of fostering a culture and practices of holistic well-being in Panama and worldwide. Through this initiative, she provides management tools and large-scale educational strategies to raise awareness, train leaders, promote dialogue spaces, and launch mass campaigns addressing topics of collective interest—leveraging innovation, technology, and the power of human connection.

Marelisa is a Green Belt certified by General Electric, a Certified Coach by ICC Brazil, and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Panama Chapter of Catalyst Now.