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- The Catalyst Project Newsletter: January 2025
The Catalyst Project Newsletter: January 2025
We are starting the year strong! Find out how we are collaborating for transformation!
The Catalyst Project LLC
January 31, 2025
Welcome to The Catalyst Project Newsletter! In 2025, we are excited to provide a monthly newsletter so you can stay up to date on all of the collaborations we are tackling for transformation. We are collaborating for our diverse communities through social entrepreneurship, leadership development, business consulting, non-profit support, and advocacy projects.
❝ Collaborating is the key to building the future we all hope for. Alexander Montalvo - Founder | CEO |  |
Leadership Development
Run with Intention: Empowering Your Candidacy Workshop!
In January, we collaborated with Tara Maldonado-Wilson, former Fort Worth City Council candidate, for a workshop, "Run with Intention: Empowering Your Candidacy." Attendees gained the tools and confidence to run a successful progressive campaign that aligns with their values and enables them to show up authentically in their campaigns and public service.
 |  Tara Maldonado-Wilson and Alexander Montalvo doing important prep work. |
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Attendees were active participants in the workshop as we navigated progressive values and goals when running for office in Fort Worth. | Tara walked through her personal experiences and the various areas she gained insight and tools while running for office. |
Our workshop attendees included community organizers, aspiring candidates, a former city council member, a current council candidate, and leaders wanting to learn more about how to support candidates and campaigns.
Tara Maldonado-Wilson has launched a new endeavor as the founder of BeautyDo-Luxebar. Follow them on Instagram and visit their website to learn more about their efforts!
Business Consulting
As diverse leaders build their businesses, we work to support them and their goals through our consultations. Building capacity as a business that is in line with your vision is a difficult effort. Business consulting and support include strengthening core components and pursuing customized solutions unique to you and your efforts.
In January, we had meetings with Jalyn Gordon, visionary of Afrocentric Communiversity & the Village. We focused on solutions for her efforts and developed exciting collaborations in 2025! Stay tuned!
Follow Afrocentric Communiversty & The Village on Instagram to learn more about their work! Join or Donate to support The Village!
The Afrocentric Communiversity is a consulting firm for activist-based biz, nonprofits & freelancers. It supports organizational development consulting, coaching, & project management |  Jalyn Gordon - Visionary |
For many diverse leaders, their priority is addressing the issues, gaps, and inequities they see in their community. That is why social entrepreneurship is so important. It provides an avenue to focus on work that aligns with their values and leveraging resources to invest in the community.
In January, we started supporting Yumna Elhdari on her social entrepreneurship journey. Yumna has helped develop amazing efforts and now she is focusing on developing her own LLC that will give her the autonomy to continue pursuing work and compensation that aligns with her values and goals.
Yumna is an accomplished writer who co-founded Ebony Tomatoes Collective while at NYU. Follow Ebony Tomatoes on Instagram and check out the new website that she developed!
Yumna recently joined the Tarrant4Change Core team. Tarrant4Change’s mission is develop and sustain a grassroots organizing infrastructure that centers our local diverse communities and builds collective power for change in Tarrant County.
Follow Tarrant4Change on various social media platforms from their linktree! You can also join the Organizing Fund to support organizers like Yumna in Tarrant County!
Yumna supports efforts through social media, graphic design, photography, and more. She is now developing her own LLC as she continues pursuing her passions and growing her skills. |  Yumna Elhdari |
Non-Profit Support
In January, we collaborated with the César Chávez & Dolores Huerta Committee of Tarrant County to strengthen and grow the organization for long-term sustainability by facilitating a Community Plática.
The César Chávez & Dolores Huerta Committee of Tarrant County is dedicated to carrying on the legacy of two civil rights icons, César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, by empowering the Latino community through education, advocacy, and community engagement in Tarrant County. |  Cesar Chavez & Dolores Huerta Committee of Tarrant County |
The Community Plática was an opportunity for the organization to hear from the community as they develop a 2-year strategic plan. We created and designed the event as a bilingual space to maximize community engagement. Maria Morales, founder of Tejiendo Raíces & Resilience, LLC, co-facilitated the event in Spanish and ensured we stayed culturally in tune with the community. She developed and translated all materials in Spanish.
Community members were encouraged to identify a role to support the organization moving forward; board member, advisory committee member, or organizer. We will keep you up to date on the development efforts of this important organization. Follow their work on Instagram and Facebook!
 |  For the Community Plática we collaborated with Maria Morales, founder of Tejiendo Raíces & Resilience, LLC |
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Attendees gathered to discuss the issues they want to see prioritized to improve the lives of Latino community members. | Creating an open dialogue among community members allows ideas and perspectives to be shared as we pursue solutions together. |
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Phase 1 had attendees put their ideas and solutions on post its for various issues Latino community members are facing. | Phase 2 included small group breakouts for deeper conversations and insights. |
The César Chávez & Dolores Huerta Committee of Tarrant County is an essential community asset to address the issues Latino communities are facing in 2025 and beyond.
Advocacy Projects
Grassroots organizers are the essential workforce for change, often overlooked and overworked. Since the start of our company in 2021, we have collaborated with local grassroots organizers to address the lack of organizing infrastructure. Currently, 60% of grassroots organizers are not paid in Texas and 15% are part-time or temporarily paid. The 25% of grassroots organizers receiving full-time pay, often are without full-time benefits.
The solutions we developed through our collaborations had important impacts in 2024. Stay tuned for their 2024 impact reports coming out soon!
The Grassroots Action Project (GAP) Network resources progressives. GAP steps into this critical breach by partnering with donors to facilitate the direct flow of resources and funds to vetted local organizers. They are focused on filling the resource gap for Grassroots Progressive Organizers. |  |
The GAP Network currently supports statewide grassroots coalitions and their members in California, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia. Donate and support their efforts to sustain important statewide coalitions!
 | New Endeavor Texas trains, connects and invests in organizers to create long-term solutions for their local priorities. We support collaborations within and between our priority counties via a state-wide network, and offer training and resources to fill the gaps in knowledge and needs. |
New Endeavor Texas is working on training and creating 15 county organizations that focus on supporting and strengthening the local organizing infrastructure. Donate to New Endeavor Texas to support their training cohorts! You can also get merch at their UnFuck Texas store!
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The Texas Grassroots Alliance is a statewide coalition that focuses on building strong relationships, creating pathways for communication and collaboration, boosting skills and maximizing the strengths of grassroots organizers and organizations. |  |
The Texas Grassroots Alliance has focused on mapping the alliance, an annual summit, social media strategy and effectiveness, data and systems, and more. Donate to support the coalition and collaborations of the Texas Grassroots Alliance! Here are a few of the member organizers and organizations to support!
 | Tarant4Change’s mission is to develop and sustain a grassroots organizing infrastructure that centers our local diverse communities and builds collective power for change in Tarrant County. |
Tarrant4Change is working for a safe, just, equitable, and inclusive community in Tarrant County. They are focused on building 10 collaboration teams geographically based throughout Tarrant County. Join the Organizing Fund to support organizers in Tarrant County! Learn more about their work in Tarrant County!
The Catalyst Project, LLC Newsletter is a great resource to stay up to date on our work in 2025. Share with your network and feel free to book a meeting to collaborate with us! Book a meeting today!
Social Entrepreneurship