Catalyst

What Catalyst does

Catalyst is a global nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) founded in 1962 by Felice Schwartz, headquartered in New York with wholly-owned regional entities in Toronto (Canada, since 2000), Zurich (Switzerland, since 2006), and Melbourne (Australia). The organization focuses on advancing workplace inclusion and gender equity through a portfolio of original research, learning programs, signature events, and community platforms. Core offerings include the MARC (Mutual Accountability, Real Change) transformational training program, the Moments that Matter frontline solution suite, inclusion workshops, a Speakers Bureau, the CEO Champions For Change benchmarking initiative, and annual recognition events (Catalyst Awards, Catalyst Honours, Catalyst Convene, and ENERGIZE). The organization also publishes the Breaking with Tradition podcast, Fieldnotes magazine, and an annual Inclusion Works global trends report, and CEO Jennifer McCollum has authored the book Men at Work.

Catalyst operates a multi-stream revenue model anchored by recurring corporate Supporter membership donations across three tiers (Single region, Global, and Global Expert Community), supplemented by fee-for-service products (MARC training, workshops, train-the-trainer programs, Speakers Bureau), individual event ticket sales (Catalyst Convene NY/Toronto, ENERGIZE), and individual donations. The technology backbone is a content-and-community digital platform relaunched in 2025 that delivers microlearning courses, research reports, and peer networking; the platform is content-driven rather than API-based or software-as-a-service, and Catalyst does not publish a developer-facing API or SDK.

The organization serves enterprise HR leaders, DEI professionals, and C-suite executives through dedicated Relationship Managers. It claims engagement with 24 million+ employees across 180 countries, 50,000+ MARC learners from 200 companies, 80+ CEO Champions For Change representing 11 million employees and $3 trillion in revenue, and coverage across 42 industries in 14 countries. Named enterprise supporters include Accenture, Bank of America, Chevron, McDonald's, Pfizer, P&G, Morgan Stanley, American Express, and KPMG. Strategic partnerships include co-developed research with Accenture (Team Dynamics on the Front Line), Coqual (The Convergent Leader), and the Meltzer Center at NYU Law; Catalyst is also a SHRM Recertification Provider. The organization is governed by an independent board, has no parent company or private equity backing, and operates on a donation-funded 501(c)(3) basis.

Name

Catalyst

Legal name

Catalyst Inc.

Website

https://catalyst.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catalyst is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1962 that provides original research, training programs, and events to help corporations advance workplace inclusion and gender equity, serving enterprise HR and DEI leaders through a 350+ member Supporter network across 42 industries and 14 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workplace Inclusion and DEI Advisory

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Workplace inclusion research
• Gender equity consulting
• Diversity training programs
• Inclusion learning solutions
• DEI advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Supporter Donations: Organizations become Supporters through donations, receiving all-employee access to webinars, research, roundtables, micro-learning, community events, and networking. Three tiers available: Single region, Global, and Global expert community.
2. Fee-for-Service Products: Additional fee-based services including MARC training, inclusion workshops, Speakers Bureau, Moments that Matter manager training, and train-the-trainer programs available to Supporter organizations.
3. Event Tickets: Catalyst Convene events (NY, Toronto) and ENERGIZE virtual conferences available for individual ticket purchase. Non-Supporters can attend conferences for fees.
4. Individual Donations: Individual donations accepted to advance Catalyst's mission, separate from organizational Supporter memberships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Catalyst is a global nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) founded in 1962 that delivers research-based workplace inclusion and gender equity solutions to organizations. Its offerings span transformational training (MARC), inclusion workshops, frontline leader programs (Moments that Matter), executive speaker engagements, signature events (Catalyst Awards, Honours, Convene, ENERGIZE), research reports, toolkits, microlearning courses, and a tiered corporate Supporter membership providing all-employee access to research and community resources.

Product overview

Catalyst is a global nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) founded in 1962 that operates as a research and advisory organization focused on workplace gender equity and inclusion. The organization does not offer a unified software platform but rather a portfolio of research-based solutions, learning programs, events, and community resources. The core offerings include MARC (Mutual Accountability, Real Change) - a transformational training program; Inclusion Workshops; Speakers Bureau; and Moments that Matter for frontline solutions. These are complemented by signature events (Catalyst Awards, Catalyst Honours, Catalyst Convene, ENERGIZE), content series (Breaking with Tradition podcast, Fieldnotes magazine), research reports, and toolkits. Catalyst operates on a Supporter membership model where organizations donate to gain access to exclusive research, tools, workshops, and community features. The digital platform delivers microlearning courses, reports, and community networking. Partnerships include co-published research with Coqual (The Convergent Leader) and the Meltzer Center at NYU Law.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MARC (Mutual Accountability, Real Change): Transformational training program that drives organizational change by engaging all employees on topics of gender socialization, privilege, healthy masculinity, and more.
• Breaking with Tradition
• Fieldnotes
• Catalyst Convene
• ENERGIZE
• Catalyst Awards
• Catalyst Honours
• Moments that Matter
• Catalyst Women On Board

Products and services

• Catalyst Supporter Network Tiered membership program offering 350+ global Supporter organizations access to research, solutions, events, and a global community network spanning 42 industries across 14 countries. Three annual subscription tiers available.
• MARC (Mutual Accountability, Real Change) Transformational training program that drives organizational change by engaging all employees on topics of gender socialization, privilege, healthy masculinity, and inclusive behaviors. Over 50,000 learners and advocates from 200 companies globally.
• Inclusion Workshops Interactive, self-reflective learning experiences that empower leaders with critical skills to build inclusive workplaces, manage diverse teams, and serve diverse clients and customers.
• Speakers Bureau Brings Catalyst experts to organizations for engaging talks by leading experts on gender equity and workplace inclusion topics.
• Moments that Matter Scenario-based learning cards, videos, and trainings designed to support frontline leaders with skills to create respectful workplaces where all employees thrive.
• Catalyst Awards Annual awards dinner and conference recognizing companies with proven results in advancing women.
• Catalyst Honours Annual event in Canada recognizing exceptional business leaders who accelerate progress for women in the workplace and motivate others to build inclusive workplaces.
• Catalyst Convene In-person and hybrid conferences held in New York and Toronto, featuring global inclusion experts and keynote discussions on leadership and workplace inclusion.
• ENERGIZE Virtual conference designed to help Employee Resource Groups engage in effective partnership across all levels of an organization, featuring leaders from various corporations.
• CEO Champions For Change Benchmarking initiative encouraging companies to share case studies and organizational data. Includes 80+ CEO Champions representing 11 million employees and $3 trillion in revenue.
• Trust Suite Suite of tools and resources to help leaders diagnose trust gaps and rebuild them through fair and transparent systems that drive performance.
• A New Path to Inclusion Executive solution suite grounded in original 2026 research to help leaders explain, justify, and align fairness and inclusion decisions across key stakeholders.
• The Convergent Leader Leadership playbook developed with Coqual helping leaders restore trust and psychological safety, close AI skills gaps, and sustain inclusion amid market pressure.
• Window to the Front Line Executive toolkit providing research-based perspective on how corporate leaders can impact workplace experiences for women on the front line in retail, hospitality, and manufacturing.
• Team Dynamics on the Front Line Report Research report in partnership with Accenture on how managers and organizations impact retention of frontline employees, with findings that reducing turnover by 10% can save $4-7 billion per industry.
• Microlearning Courses Short, targeted learning modules available to Supporter organizations covering topics like allyship, recruitment, retention, and wellbeing.
• Inclusion Works: Global Trends Report
• Breaking with Tradition Podcast Catalyst podcast featuring conversations with innovators on workplace inclusion, leadership, and future of work topics. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
• Fieldnotes Magazine Catalyst magazine bringing cross-disciplinary ideas, bold stories, and research-backed insights to help leaders solve workplace challenges.
• Catalyst Women On Board Program that matches CEOs and board chairs with women to sponsor for corporate board positions; over 60% of alumnae have been appointed to corporate boards.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of companies remain committed to inclusion despite hostile political/regulatory climate (Catalyst/Meltzer Center 2026 survey)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Worldwide Clinical TrialsminorOthers · 25 January 2026M&A transaction where Worldwide Clinical Trials acquired Catalyst (a contract research organization), marking continued strategic M&A activity in the CRO sector.
• AccenturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatalyst partnered with Accenture on frontline employee research, including the Team Dynamics on the Front Line report. Research shows reducing turnover by 10% can save $4-7 billion per industry.
• CoqualcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research partnership producing The Convergent Leader report on AI-ready leadership capabilities. Study found 63% of business leaders in UK, France, and Germany not ready to lead in AI age.
• Meltzer Center for Inclusion, Diversity, and Belonging at NYU School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint survey research on workplace inclusion and DEI trends. Released 2026 findings showing 80% of companies remain committed to inclusion despite hostile climate.
• Everywoman StudiosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-produced documentary 'The Pink Pill: Sex, Drugs & Who Has Control' about entrepreneur Cindy Eckert and Addyi FDA approval.
• Sisters of the ValleyminorOthersSisters of the Valley cannabis brand mentioned touring Catalyst dispensary locations in Los Angeles and Orange County.
• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatalyst recognized as SHRM Recertification Provider, enabling HR professionals to earn professional development credits through Catalyst programming.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Coqual: Research-focused nonprofit (formerly Center for Talent Innovation) producing original workplace inclusion research and benchmarking for Fortune 500 companies. Direct peer with similar Supporter/membership model and co-research partnership with Catalyst on the Convergent Leader toolkit.
• Lean In Foundation: Nonprofit founded by Sheryl Sandberg focused on advancing women in the workplace through Circles, education, and corporate partnerships. Direct peer in mission scope (women's workplace advancement) with similar education/community product mix and corporate donor base.
• Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR): Nonprofit advancing Hispanic inclusion in corporate America through research, corporate engagement, and leadership development. Direct peer operating in adjacent demographic inclusion space with overlapping corporate Supporter network; actually a Catalyst customer/program partner.
• The Female Quotient: Experience-driven equality company that convenes leaders through events, research, and media partnerships focused on closing gender gaps in business. Direct peer in mission scope with comparable event-driven and content-led GTM motion.
• DiversityInc: Media and benchmarking organization operating Top 50 Companies lists, advisory, and data products for corporate diversity. Direct peer targeting the same enterprise HR/DEI buyer with comparable media/research/event portfolio.
• Working Mother Media: Media organization producing the Working Mother 100 Best Companies list, research, and events focused on women in the workplace. Direct peer targeting the same corporate HR/DEI buyer with comparable benchmarking and content products.

Broad incumbents

• National Urban League: Historic civil rights and social advocacy nonprofit with much broader scope (racial equality, economic empowerment, education) and substantially larger operating budget. Comparable as a 501(c)(3) social advocacy organization serving corporate DEI buyers, but at much greater scale.
• National Partnership for Women & Families: Nonprofit advocacy organization working on women's workplace equity, healthcare, and economic security through policy advocacy and corporate engagement. Comparable as a women's advocacy nonprofit with policy/research output and corporate partnerships.
• The Conference Board: Business research and membership organization publishing research on human capital, ESG, and DEI for executives. Comparable as a membership-supported research organization serving enterprise HR and C-suite buyers with adjacent DEI research products.

Emerging players

• Executive Leadership Council: Nonprofit membership organization for Black CEOs, senior executives, and emerging leaders. Comparable as a corporate-supported executive diversity organization with research, leadership programs, and CEO engagement analogous to Catalyst's CEO Champions For Change.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CatalystClips
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catalystinc
• Instagraminstagram.com/catalystinc
• Xx.com/CatalystInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/catalystinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catalyst