Sorwathe Tea, Rwanda

Cate grew up in the beautiful green woods of Maine.

Though grateful for the immersion in nature, she felt isolated and starved for new and different experiences and passionate people to share them with. Regardless of the task in front of her, Cate is an indomitable change-maker driven by empathy, creative confidence, and inspired by the beauty of our natural world.

A StartingBloc social innovation Fellow, and alumnus of Designing for Social Innovation and Leadership and Rockwood Art of Leadership, Cate drives progress through liberating spaces, transformational action, and collaborative leadership rooted in community building.

All of the work Cate has pursued since leaving the Maine woods has been adventurous, collaborative, and mission-focused.

Today, Cate is based in Boulder, Colorado. Her career has grown from organizing the logistics of a refugee resettlement program in Maine, to redesigning business processes at a global environmental organization based in Washington DC, and then abroad to design and market the brand of a start-up ecolodge company in Ghana before returning to DC to open an innovation lab at one of the world's largest non-profits.

A lifetime learner and always curious to explore new perspectives, Cate is on the global teaching team at IDEO-U, an online school where leaders can unlock their creative potential and build their problem-solving skills. In addition, Cate helped launch and curated programming for INVENTURE$, the largest international innovation and technology conference in western Canada. She currently sits on the Advisory Board for the SXSW Pitch start-up competition and is a guest speaker for a range of online graduate courses in business, social enterprise, and innovation.

Cate's current passion project is growing ArborRevolutions, a wellness venture that supports healthy and healing women through nature-centered community experiences and coaching programs. In March of 2024 Cate produced and spoke on behalf of ArborRevolutions as part of the SXSW2024 Design track session: Matriarch-Centered Design.

A graduate of Northeastern University's College of Social Sciences and Humanities in Boston, Cate earned an MBA from American University's Kogod School of Business in DC. When not in front of a computer screen or whiteboard you can find Cate outside hiking with her rescue pup, Luna.

Cate facilitating a design challenge in Sisaket, Thailand

TOP 8 things to know about Cate:

8. I am a designer.

Co-creating solutions with diverse groups of mission-driven folks is my favorite way to make the world a better place and connect with other changemakers.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ABOUT ME & DESIGN!

7. My StrengthsFinder results are Strategic, Maximizer, Connectedness, Futuristic, Empathy. I believe that focusing on what we're best at allows us to do the most good. A big picture creative, I focus on delivering high ROI outcomes that increase human happiness and have a positive environmental impact.

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6. I love adventure!

I've slept at the top of an active volcano in Africa, SCUBA dived with sharks in the Great Barrier Reef, and hiked with grizzly bears in Canada.

5. My Myers-Briggs is ENFJ.

I think aloud, take action based on intuition, have high emotional intelligence and am a collaborative and decisive leader.

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4. Horse energy grounds and guides me.

I grew up riding and teaching lessons to kids and now volunteer with a racehorse rescue non-profit. I've even received leadership coaching from the Academy of Coaching for Horses in Colorado!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON ME & HORSES!

3. I grew up in a town with one traffic light.

My first memories are swimming, camping, and playing outside. Nature is still my playground, but I've lived in cities from Boston to Accra to DC my entire adult life.

2. I am a REIKI Master.

Reiki is a Japanese healing art, also known as "hands-on healing". I have completed all 3 levels of Reiki attunement, as well an Animal Reiki certification.

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