Catherine Addo
Founder, Racial Equity Impact Practice & Senior Strategy Director at Purpose- Claim this Profile
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English Native or bilingual proficiency
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French Limited working proficiency
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Bio
Gissou Nia
I had the pleasure of working with Cat in my former role as a strategy director at Purpose. I am incredibly grateful for my time learning from her, since it positioned me well to deal with equity challenges head on in my work in human rights. Following the growing awareness around police brutality in the US and the broader reckoning with issues of racial injustice that swept the globe in 2020, many institutions, organizations and communities began the overdue process of applying a racial equity lens to their work and systems. In many cases, these groups were forced to take action after being publicly called out for biased/discriminatory practices. While many organizations only felt the urgency of these concepts in 2020, I feel fortunate that I went through this training years before, when Cat introduced this training (e.g. how to recognize and counter unconscious bias, etc) in our workplace. It gave me the vocabulary and tools to address any organizations, partners or colleagues engaging in practices that reinforce discriminatory or biased practices, well ahead of the 2020 learning curve. This is very important to me in my legal practice, which tackles human rights issues across the world, and in which justice processes have not always been connected to affected communities, and sometimes been divided along lines of race, nationality and religion. I credit Cat's visionary spirit for introducing the systems to challenge entrenched ways of thinking. She could have gotten discouraged or shied away from the "hard" topics but she didn't. I know the way I move through the world and counter inequities in the issue spaces I work in is better off because of her teachings.
Gissou Nia
I had the pleasure of working with Cat in my former role as a strategy director at Purpose. I am incredibly grateful for my time learning from her, since it positioned me well to deal with equity challenges head on in my work in human rights. Following the growing awareness around police brutality in the US and the broader reckoning with issues of racial injustice that swept the globe in 2020, many institutions, organizations and communities began the overdue process of applying a racial equity lens to their work and systems. In many cases, these groups were forced to take action after being publicly called out for biased/discriminatory practices. While many organizations only felt the urgency of these concepts in 2020, I feel fortunate that I went through this training years before, when Cat introduced this training (e.g. how to recognize and counter unconscious bias, etc) in our workplace. It gave me the vocabulary and tools to address any organizations, partners or colleagues engaging in practices that reinforce discriminatory or biased practices, well ahead of the 2020 learning curve. This is very important to me in my legal practice, which tackles human rights issues across the world, and in which justice processes have not always been connected to affected communities, and sometimes been divided along lines of race, nationality and religion. I credit Cat's visionary spirit for introducing the systems to challenge entrenched ways of thinking. She could have gotten discouraged or shied away from the "hard" topics but she didn't. I know the way I move through the world and counter inequities in the issue spaces I work in is better off because of her teachings.
Gissou Nia
I had the pleasure of working with Cat in my former role as a strategy director at Purpose. I am incredibly grateful for my time learning from her, since it positioned me well to deal with equity challenges head on in my work in human rights. Following the growing awareness around police brutality in the US and the broader reckoning with issues of racial injustice that swept the globe in 2020, many institutions, organizations and communities began the overdue process of applying a racial equity lens to their work and systems. In many cases, these groups were forced to take action after being publicly called out for biased/discriminatory practices. While many organizations only felt the urgency of these concepts in 2020, I feel fortunate that I went through this training years before, when Cat introduced this training (e.g. how to recognize and counter unconscious bias, etc) in our workplace. It gave me the vocabulary and tools to address any organizations, partners or colleagues engaging in practices that reinforce discriminatory or biased practices, well ahead of the 2020 learning curve. This is very important to me in my legal practice, which tackles human rights issues across the world, and in which justice processes have not always been connected to affected communities, and sometimes been divided along lines of race, nationality and religion. I credit Cat's visionary spirit for introducing the systems to challenge entrenched ways of thinking. She could have gotten discouraged or shied away from the "hard" topics but she didn't. I know the way I move through the world and counter inequities in the issue spaces I work in is better off because of her teachings.
Gissou Nia
I had the pleasure of working with Cat in my former role as a strategy director at Purpose. I am incredibly grateful for my time learning from her, since it positioned me well to deal with equity challenges head on in my work in human rights. Following the growing awareness around police brutality in the US and the broader reckoning with issues of racial injustice that swept the globe in 2020, many institutions, organizations and communities began the overdue process of applying a racial equity lens to their work and systems. In many cases, these groups were forced to take action after being publicly called out for biased/discriminatory practices. While many organizations only felt the urgency of these concepts in 2020, I feel fortunate that I went through this training years before, when Cat introduced this training (e.g. how to recognize and counter unconscious bias, etc) in our workplace. It gave me the vocabulary and tools to address any organizations, partners or colleagues engaging in practices that reinforce discriminatory or biased practices, well ahead of the 2020 learning curve. This is very important to me in my legal practice, which tackles human rights issues across the world, and in which justice processes have not always been connected to affected communities, and sometimes been divided along lines of race, nationality and religion. I credit Cat's visionary spirit for introducing the systems to challenge entrenched ways of thinking. She could have gotten discouraged or shied away from the "hard" topics but she didn't. I know the way I move through the world and counter inequities in the issue spaces I work in is better off because of her teachings.
Experience
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Purpose
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United States
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Civic and Social Organizations
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100 - 200 Employee
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Founder, Racial Equity Impact Practice & Senior Strategy Director
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Nov 2021 - Present
The Racial Equity Impact Practice at Purpose helps partners advance equity-centered social impact in their work across the nonprofit, business, and philanthropic sectors. Our approach combines skills and expertise in content, narrative, brand purpose, storytelling, and engagement strategy with experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy and design. We work with the purpose of shifting perceptions, actions, and cultural norms to close equity gaps and center marginalized perspectives in the work of positive impact. We've built on each of our partner's unique and authentic brand, community, and impact opportunities to help them inclusively navigate social issue spaces ranging from criminal justice, beauty and personal care, tech, sport, community and international development, bias and identity in mis- and disinformation, and housing. Show less
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Senior Strategy Director & Co-Head of Office (New York)
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Jan 2021 - Apr 2022
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Strategy Director
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Feb 2018 - Jan 2021
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Senior Strategist
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Oct 2016 - Feb 2019
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Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
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United States
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Music
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1 - 100 Employee
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Director, Marketing & Communications
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Jul 2014 - Oct 2016
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Marketing Manager
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Jun 2012 - Jul 2014
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Island Def Jam Music Group
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Music
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200 - 300 Employee
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Marketing Assistant
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Sep 2010 - Jun 2012
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Executive & Office Assistant; Client Contact
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Nov 2008 - Sep 2010
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Fashion Trends Columnist & Contributing Writer
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Sep 2008 - Oct 2009
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The Orchard
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United States
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Entertainment Providers
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500 - 600 Employee
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Publishing Information Researcher
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Jul 2008 - Nov 2008
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GMR Marketing
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United States
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Advertising Services
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700 & Above Employee
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Brand Partnerships Intern
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Jun 2007 - May 2008
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The Royalty Network, Inc.
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Entertainment
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1 - 100 Employee
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Music Publishing Intern
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Jun 2007 - Aug 2007
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Publicity Intern
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Jan 2007 - May 2007
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Education
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2004 - 2008
New York University
Bachelor of Music -
2014 - 2015
Shillington Education
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2019 - 2019
Pratt Institute
Certificate -
2015 - 2016
Coucou French Classes
Community
