welcome to
A Purpose-Driven Approach to Business
Introducing A New Kind of Small Business Community
So much of the opportunity for useful and meaningful work comes from small businesses. The problem: in our economy, the odds are stacked against small. The more capital you already have, the more you'll likely get. Over time, this leads to growing inequalities, a loss of variety, and less innovation.
The Catalyst community is here to change that. We see the potential of small businesses to offer work that contributes real value on many levels, and we want to help bring it forth. Instead of trying to replicate business best practices geared toward large, we catalyze what's possible for small.
Join the Conversation
Catalyst is our way of engaging purpose-driven business leaders in an ongoing dialogue about how small businesses can grow and thrive.
Join our Catalyst Community LinkedIn group to share ideas and best practices, and connect with peers, and get exclusive access to future events.
Thank you to everyone who attended our 2020 Catalyst Summit!
Our inaugural Catalyst event was a smashing success - bringing together purpose-driven small business leaders from across the region to share ideas and ask better questions.
A major thank you to our speakers for sharing their insights, and to the participants who made the experience dynamic and fun. Here's a recap of what we learned together:
So You Think You're Special?
This engaging breakout session explored the challenges around commoditization and how to uncover what’s remarkable in your business.
David Nichols
Owner & Founder
Loupe
Taming Your 800lb Gorilla
Have you ever been in a position where one or a small set of customers rule your world? This popular session covered how to tap into unmet customer needs, unserved markets and new spaces.
Jessica Gomez
CEO & Founder
Rogue Valley Microdevices
Ken Tomita
CEO & Co-founder
Grovemade
What It Means to be a Human-Centered Business
We all know the importance of putting your people first, but how can you put this into practice?
In this energizing panel, we heard from three businesses who have shifted their view of employees as “our greatest asset” to actual human beings.
Marcus Carter
Director of Social Equity
Cinder
Deven Paolo
Owner & Founder
Solid Form
Larry Saldanha
Director of HR
Convergence
Meaningful Metrics
Many of the metrics tracked today are rooted in ideas from large corporations. But are they the right metrics for a small business?
This panel included three companies who are reconsidering measurements of success to create a healthier, more resilient business.
Kathy Tate
CEO
Online NW
Liesl Deck
Finance Director
Groundwater Solutions
Kate Rood
Director of Organizational Development & Culture
Beneficial State Foundation
How Has Hiring Changed?
From interviewing to onboarding to retention: how do you keep a candidate engage throughout the process? And, how has the process changed with a more remote workforce? This breakout session dove into how to attract and retain right-fit employees.
Janet Hull
Talent Acquisition Manager
PAE
William Vanderbloemen
President & Founder
Vanderbloemen Search Group
Scaling Culture
Growing pains are a hallmark of any successful organization, especially when it comes to the people. How can a team stay engaged and foster a culture of creativity and innovation amidst growth (and most recently, remote working)? This session followed two prominent business leaders on their journey of massive growth, and lessons learned from a changing culture.
Maria Linman
Director of People Operations
Fully
Tia Coachman
Founder & Principal Consultant
Affirma Consultancy
About Kinesis
Kinesis is a small business strategy firm, dedicated to helping the purpose-driven organizations that fuel our economy and create meaningful jobs. Our right-fit clients come to us for help taking their business from good to great, and great to remarkable.
The leaders we get to work with see small business as an engine of growth, strong communities, and upward mobility. We created the Catalyst Community to bring those leaders together and amplify their impact.
