The Catalyst Collective
The Catalyst Collective is a UK-based non-profit that recruits professional Black women as volunteer mentors and matches them with Black teenage girls for year-long mentoring relationships, supplemented by 30-minute Catalyst Connects sessions, in-person events, and a Youth Advisory Board.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Catalyst Collective does
The Catalyst Collective is a UK-registered non-profit organisation headquartered in London that recruits, trains, matches, and supports professional Black women as volunteer mentors to Black teenage girls in year-long one-to-one mentoring relationships. The organisation addresses a specific representation gap — limited access to relatable Black female role models in professional settings — by combining its flagship year-long mentoring programme with a newer sub-brand, Catalyst Connects (30-minute mentoring sessions), in-person enrichment events, residential weekends, and a Youth Advisory Board that incorporates mentee voice into programme design. Underlying delivery is built on a Wix-based website platform used for applications, content publishing, and community engagement, with no proprietary technology stack, custom software, or AI components disclosed.
The business model is that of a small charitable organisation rather than a commercial enterprise: programme participation is free for both mentees and mentors, with operating costs funded through individual donations (structured as purpose-tied tiers of £20 for travel/refreshments, £50 for enrichment opportunities, and £150 for residential sponsorship), in-kind corporate partnerships (e.g., Irwin Mitchell Solicitors hosting insight days), and school partnerships that channel students into the programme. Outreach is largely community-led through word-of-mouth, organic social media (Twitter/X and Instagram), mailing-list sign-ups, and a blog featuring mentee stories. The organisation is led by founder and director Chloe Lewis, with Programme Manager Imani overseeing delivery, and operates within a documented safeguarding and child protection framework. No funding rounds, grants, ownership structure, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed in the available data.
The Catalyst Collective firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Catalyst Collective
- Legal name
- The Catalyst Collective
- Website
- https://thecatalystcollective.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Catalyst Collective is a UK-based non-profit that recruits professional Black women as volunteer mentors and matches them with Black teenage girls for year-long mentoring relationships, supplemented by 30-minute Catalyst Connects sessions, in-person events, and a Youth Advisory Board.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Catalyst Collective industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Mentoring Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)
Keywords
Where The Catalyst Collective is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Catalyst Collective business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: Individual donations from supporters. Donation tiers cover specific programme costs: £20 for mentees' travel and refreshments, £50 for enrichment opportunities, £150 for residential sponsorship.
- Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporations offering work experience, insight days, and other forms of support. Companies can partner to provide opportunities for mentees.
- School Partnerships: Partner schools can introduce Catalyst programmes for their students, generating programme access and student participation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Donation tier: £20 covers mentees' travel and refreshments for in-person mentoring meetings |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Donation tier: £50 gives mentees the opportunity to participate in enrichment opportunities |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Donation tier: £150 sponsors a mentee's place on a 2-night residential designed to grow their confidence and develop crucial life skills |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Catalyst Collective product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Catalyst Collective runs a year-long mentoring programme that recruits, trains, matches, and supports professional Black women with Black teenage girls for sustained one-to-one relationships. It supplements the core programme with Catalyst Connects (30-minute mentoring sessions for Black women), in-person enrichment events including residential weekends, and a Youth Advisory Board that gives mentees a voice in programme planning. Programme participation is free for mentees and mentors; operations are funded by individual donations, corporate partnerships, and school partnerships.
Product overview
The Catalyst Collective offers a single integrated mentoring programme for Black girls, consisting of year-long one-to-one mentoring relationships between professional Black women and Black teenage mentees, supplemented by Catalyst Connects (30-minute mentoring sessions), in-person events including residential weekends, and a Youth Advisory Board. The core programme recruits, trains, matches, and supports mentor-mentee pairs throughout the year.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Catalyst Connects: 30-minute mentoring sessions for Black women
Products and services
- Year-Long Mentoring Programme A year-long structured mentoring programme that recruits, trains, matches, and supports professional Black women with Black teenage girls for sustained one-to-one mentoring relationships, including career guidance, GCSE study skills, and sixth-form subject choices. Offered free to mentees and mentors in the United Kingdom.
- Catalyst Connects (30-minute Mentoring Sessions) 30-minute mentoring sessions for Black women, offering accessible and flexible mentoring support on a shorter-commitment basis than the year-long programme. Targeted at Black women seeking mentoring in the UK.
- In-Person Events and Residential Weekends In-person events connecting mentoring pairs, including enrichment opportunities, insight days (e.g., with corporate partners such as Irwin Mitchell Solicitors), and 2-night residential weekends designed to grow mentees' confidence and develop life skills. Provided free to programme participants.
Quantifiable outcome
- 404 mentoring hours logged in 2023-24
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Catalyst Collective
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Catalyst Collective technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Catalyst Collective partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Irwin Mitchell SolicitorsminorIrwin Mitchell Solicitors hosted a group of Catalyst mentees for an insight day to learn about careers in law. This partnership provides exposure to professional environments and career guidance for mentees interested in legal professions.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Catalyst Collective competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Black Girls in Tech: UK-based community and mentoring organisation for Black women in technology careers — overlaps heavily with Catalyst's professional-Black-women mentor pool and career-advancement mission.
- Generation Success: UK mentoring and professional development charity supporting underrepresented young people into careers via corporate partnerships — strong peer in mission, audience, and corporate-led funding model.
- The Girls' Network: UK charity mentoring state-school girls aged 14–19 with female professional mentors — Catalyst's closest analogue in mission (mentoring girls for career outcomes) and operating geography.
- Amos Bursary: UK charity supporting Black students at university and beyond through financial bursaries and mentoring — comparable in mission (Black youth advancement) and corporate partner network.
- Stemettes: UK charity running mentoring, events, and hackathons to bring girls (with a strong emphasis on Black and minority ethnic girls) into STEM — directly comparable in mentee demographic and mentor-driven model.
- 100 Black Men of London: London-based mentorship organisation for members of the Black community — the most mission-adjacent peer given Catalyst's identity-centred mentoring for Black British participants.
- ReachOut UK: UK volunteer-led mentoring charity pairing professionals with disadvantaged young people — closest operating-model peer for one-to-one, year-long volunteer mentoring of youth.
- IntoUniversity: UK education charity supporting underrepresented young people to access higher education and careers through local centres and mentoring — comparable in target demographic and school-partner channel.
Broad incumbents
- The Prince's Trust: Large, established UK youth-development charity offering mentoring, training, and enterprise programmes — the dominant incumbent Catalyst must compete with for corporate partnerships and grant funding.
- Mentor UK: UK-wide charity advancing quality youth mentoring through research, policy, and programme support — comparable in mentoring category but operates as an umbrella/advocate rather than direct service.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Catalyst Collective social profiles
Digital presenceThe Catalyst Collective compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Catalyst Collective financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Catalyst Collective leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Catalyst Collective funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Catalyst Collective M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Catalyst Collective
What does The Catalyst Collective do?
The Catalyst Collective runs a year-long mentoring programme that recruits, trains, matches, and supports professional Black women with Black teenage girls for sustained one-to-one relationships. It supplements the core programme with Catalyst Connects (30-minute mentoring sessions for Black women), in-person enrichment events including residential weekends, and a Youth Advisory Board that gives mentees a voice in programme planning. Programme participation is free for mentees and mentors; operations are funded by individual donations, corporate partnerships, and school partnerships.
Is The Catalyst Collective a public or private company?
The Catalyst Collective is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Catalyst Collective founded?
The Catalyst Collective was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Catalyst Collective based?
The Catalyst Collective is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Catalyst Collective make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships and school Partnerships.
Who are The Catalyst Collective's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Black Girls in Tech, Generation Success, The Girls' Network, Amos Bursary, Stemettes, 100 Black Men of London, ReachOut UK and IntoUniversity. Broad incumbents are The Prince's Trust and Mentor UK.
Does The Catalyst Collective have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Catalyst Collective.
What industry is The Catalyst Collective in?
The Catalyst Collective's product category is Youth Mentoring Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAL, Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAJALAL, Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.