Empowering Change: A Conversation with Philanthropist Catherine Curry Williams

On this episode of the Passionistas Project, sisters Amy and Nancy Harrington speak with Catherine Curry-Williams, founder of Shane’s Inspiration and co-founder of the She Angels Foundation. Williams shares her journey in championing inclusive play for children with disabilities and advocating for women-led organizations globally. The conversation delves into her passion for equity and inclusion, the development of universally accessible playgrounds, and the innovative collective giving model of the She Angels Foundation. Throughout the discussion, Williams emphasizes the importance of community, collaboration, and actively making a difference. Additionally, the episode touches on personal anecdotes, the challenges and triumphs faced by her organizations, and the profound impact of women supporting one another.

Listen to the complete episode HERE.

LINKS

She Angels Foundation

She Angels Facebook

LinkedIn

InclusionMatters

Inclusion Matters Facebook

Inclusion Matters Instagram

ON THIS EPISODE

[00:18] Introducing Catherine-Curry Williams

[02:13]The Importance of Inclusive Play

[05:37] She Angels Foundation: Empowering Women

[07:17] The Power of Collective Giving

[14:34] Challenges and Solutions in Philanthropy

[28:11] Leadership Roles and Organizational Challenges

[28:41] The Importance of Fair Wages

[29:27] Innovative Ideas and Philanthropy

[31:34] Collaboration Among Women's Communities

[34:18] Mantra: Be the Light, See the Light, Share the Light

[36:43] Napitation: A Unique Approach to Meditation

[38:38] Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

[42:41] She Angels Foundation's Latest Grant

[43:23] The Importance of Women's Health

[48:11] Surprising Moments of Joy

[50:30] How to Get Involved with She Angels

[51:56] Dreams for the Future

[54:15] Conclusion and Call to Action

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Passionistas: Hi, we're sisters Amy and Nancy Harrington, the founders of the Passionistas Project, an inclusive sisterhood where women find support, purpose, and empowerment. On each episode, we share stories of passion-driven women who are breaking barriers and redefining success. Today we're talking with Catherine Curry Williams, a powerhouse philanthropist who's been transforming lives for over two decades as the founder of Shane's inspiration and co-founder of the She Angels Foundation. She's breaking barriers in inclusive play and championing grassroots women-led organizations worldwide. So please welcome Catherine Curry Williams. We are so excited to have you here. This conversation is long overdue and we're so glad to finally be having it with you.

Cat: Hi, and uh, it's good to see you as well. Um, and it's not my fake background. I always have to point out that that's a good background. I'm up in the San Yez Valley and so having a little August, somewhat, uh, staycation.

Passionistas: Nice, nice. Although

Cat: staycations these days are. Um, working from home. I like mixing work and pleasure. 'cause I think this is really what, um, it, it.

It gives us what we always, especially women, we don't have to leave our household. We never did leave our household when we were working. Right. Regardless if it was with the kids or, you know, we were always kind of working. Even if you weren't working. Right. And now, now I just get up earlier. And, uh, I find my quiet time in the house whether, although my daughter's off, um, lives in Baltimore now, but she's, um, you know, it used to be the thing, you just find your quiet space early in the morning.

And now my routine is I still find the quiet space early in the morning and try to separate that time from washing the dishes

Passionistas: and doing the other work. Um, yeah. What is the thing that you are most passionate about?

Cat: I'm most passionate about equity and inclusion, I guess, because that is when things don't seem fair to me.

I get set in a direction and usually if you know, it starts out with a little anger. Then I'm like, well, that, that doesn't, that's not feeling good to me, so let me get passionate about how I could make a difference. And I think when I do that, it also fuels my, it fuels my purpose, my passion and purpose are very, you know, tied together, which I feel grateful for because I don't feel like I'm exhausted after.

Working in the direction towards what I'm passionate about. And the purpose behind it is to, to elevate those, those two things, inclusion and equity and, and, um, and it, and it's not, you know, inclusion is for everyone and, uh, more than ever now, inclusion for women. In an equitable way, and that's where Shane's, she angels comes in.

Shane's inspiration is, I could not believe where children weren't included if they were, had different ability than a typically able child. And so that quickly became a. Uh, that quickly, you know, set me on like, what, this is crazy. Let me see if there is, this is true. And I was, um, unfortunately able to find too much evidence that supported children simply, let's start at the playground.

Simply. Children couldn't play if they were in a. Wheelchair or using walkers, they could get to it because that was called accessible. But it wasn't really inclusion in my way of how you're included, where you're sitting at the room you're sitting next to. So we created the first, uh, universally accessible playground in Los Angeles.

And the kids play side by side. Everybody has different abilities, but that also, um. You know, it gets everybody's abilities get to shine. They get to show each other their strengths. And now, of course not of course, but this is almost 30 years later, 28 years later, we have. Almost a hundred playgrounds or over a hundred playgrounds on five continents of this and education programs on inclusion in Five Co.

Uh, like. Five languages, I think, and in 30 countries. This is great that I can't keep track of it because the team at Shane's inspiration, which is now called Inclusion Matters by Shane's inspiration, or it should be Shane's Inspiration Inclusion Matters. Hello, my passion. Well, I didn't wanna just leave that at the playground because when I found out the inequity of women getting less than 2 cents on a dollar, less than 2% of all charitable giving in the US I.

But where is that equity and inclusion there? And again, I was hoping that that wasn't true, but research over and over again shows that, um, we as women and girls get less than animals. Not that animals get a whole lot, but you know, they get almost twice as much. Um, things are off kilter there. And I think when things.

Aren't recognized. That seemed the simplest thing. Of course it was. It's, it's not just a passion project, but how could you not be passionate about women and girls having equal opportunities? Because women, girls that grow up to be women and women leaders, and even women, community, um, leaders and, and just in general in their school.

Our foremost intention is to find solution. I would say a good percent of women, let's say 80, and that's probably undercutting it, uh, 80%. We are looking for solutions because there's, see this is it. There was a passion, there was a problem. Then there's a solution, which is, um, what she angels is doing is.

We are giving grants to female founded and operated nonprofits to help bridge the gap. There's a big funding gap with women organizations, but also not just because women's organizations only get 2%, but grassroots women's organizations. So we're, we added another layer of, of that and then. Grassroots organizations for Bipoc women, it's just, it goes on and on.

And what we do at She Angels Foundation is that we give grants to these, um, qualified organizations that go to our website. And look, we make it as easy as possible if they're qualified nonprofit doing mentorship or. Resources for women and girls. We, we give them a grant and we've given 56 grants, I think in five years, which is, I have to say a volunteer organization.

'cause we're all volunteers. Um, it, it's extraordinary that we get stuff done and not only volunteers, we don't do fundraisers. We are community driven. Collective giving is what we do. And so collectively, any, any one that becomes, uh, that donates over $500, they become a member of our organization. And from that.

What? What they receive from that is they come, they get invited, they're on the special list of, I mean, we take all donations, but anyone who donates over 500 gets to come to our, what we call angel power, happy hours. We have special ones, which you were just at. That was an awesome. That was an awesome happy hour.

[00:09:08] Passionistas: That was an amazing happy hour. We've been to a couple now, and I have to say the energy, as the room starts to fill up, the energy just exponentially explodes, and by the end, you could just feel how excited every single person. In the room is to be having the conversations they're having and, and you're, no one's looking over their shoulder like, Ooh, who's the better person to talk to?

But everybody's like, Ooh, who else can I talk to? Who, who else can I meet? Who else can I help? And I think that's really the core beautiful part of it, is how can I support the other women that are here? You hear? The conversations that are happening around you. And everybody's looking for ways to support not only the people who are the grant recipients that day, but each other.

And it is, um, it's something we, we connect to so deeply 'cause it's what we believe too. But to, to be in a room and feel like, as I'm talking about it, I'm feeling the energy of being in those rooms with all of you. And it's beyond explanation. People just need to experience it.

Cat: I, I am you. I could not have said that better.

I'm so glad that you were both there and just even Amy, you, you light up. This is, this is what we do. Women love to share, but they do so when they're comfortable to do it, and it's not just about the jobs we do there, we're, we're in a room that you've been in with she angels and the, the titles are.

Doctors and lawyers and the titles are, you know, authors and you know, chefs, they go on and on, but we're not about our titles. No one is about their title. They're about their who they are and the relationship and hit it right on the head. What can I do to, what can I do to help? It tickles me so much when I have someone who is.

Really in a position way above their, you know, that might come in and go like, okay, put me to work in the kitchen. Or what can I do? Who should I pour wine for? We are all, that's this group and I think we are not a small group, we're a large group, and the more. People come and see this environment. We started out wanting to have angel power, happy hours, so very small.

So we really could spend more time. And as it grows, we're having to add them so we can make them smaller. So we can give everybody a chance to say what, what, what they are doing. And so, um, that's not a bad problem to have. We have a good one. Um, so now we have more. More people to volunteer. We're looking to start a new program that we can share our members with the women and youth in of the girls.

Um, maybe two men to mentor. They want to do a podcast so they can take eight minutes, eight hours, eight days, 80, you know, and connect them to connect them with. A girl or, or a young adult who's thinking about what they wanna be when they grow up. And I'm hoping to hook up. So somebody to help me to, to mentor what I wanna do when I grow up, because I think it keeps evolving.

Passionistas: What is that? What is, what do you wanna do when you grow up?

Cat: I'm, I'm just looking and seeing, I don't know if it's, um, I sort of. Did not think writing would be in my, I was never a good speller and putting words down on paper were, was not, was not the biggest journal writer. But I do like writing. I, you know, I wrote a book called Philanthropy on a Shoes string, but that was.

About my passion and how to change it, how to start, um, collective giving group. It's called, um, you know, how to make a difference on a dollar 40 a day. And that didn't seem quite like writing because I was kind of like cheating. Well, I know all this information so. You know, it's just like, just like housework.

It's not work. 'cause I know how to do it. It's just like something else that I love to do, helping a friend or doing something. It's like, no, don't, you know, that wasn't work for me. That felt good. Well, sort of, that book was kind of like that. But I think I'd like to spend more time contemplating. Um, of course the enticement might be, I see myself.

You know, sitting in an Italian villa contemplating as I write more deep thoughts.

Passionistas: Let's talk a little bit more about she angels and collective giving. Why did you decide to. Um, create the, the membership in that way. You, it's not set up like other charitable foundations where you do fundraisers and you go out and raise money and have, have auctions and things like that.

Why did you decide to set it up that way?

Cat: Well, it was from a list of all the things I had done for almost three decades, we'll say two and a half for a long time, uh, in. Nonprofit sector already, and I have mentored many and still do, uh, executive directors for nonprofits, large and grassroots, and the same thing over and over again.

It's so hard to make their nut. They're having a gala, they're having a, an event. It takes the. Program director, the it, the, the 10 people for six months or easy or, or longer. And I'm on the board of other organizations that do have fundraisers, organizations like Everyday Action, which I'm absolutely passionate about.

They, um, support the food Insecure and, and they've served. Thousands of meals and they have a gala to get themselves known. Um, they're kind of reinventing the gala, which is one of the things that, um, I don't like a gala for, is because you have to spend money to make money and starting a new organization after doing this for so long.

I just was looking for what were the pitfalls and it, that was one of fundraising that way. So I thought if we can have 10 women at a dollar 50 a day, give or take 40, 39 cents, something like that, and it. It's doable. That's 500, it's over $500 a year. 10 women will be able to give one $5,000 grant and start there.

So I wasn't overtaxing me or you or any, you know, stressing us out because to tackle a solution. Doesn't, I knew that I didn't wanna add a problem onto it. So the membership being, um, we love community, so how could we do that? Like a book club, you get together, 10 of you, and we grew like the pro commercial, tell a friend, tell a friend, tell a friend, tell a friend.

But the intention was for that to get as Margaret Mead's quote goes, which. Never doubt. I'm, I'm not sure if this, uh, never underestimate a committed citizen or, you know, they, they change the world. It's the, it's the only thing that ever does. So, you know, that's what I was looking for. And I knew my friends that I had told about the inequity of women, women with the 2%, um, were all fired up about it.

And, you know. People are asking for money for great organizations all the time, but one thing that this one $500 a year gets you to do is give to many worthy organizations in different. Arenas, there's, you know, domestic violence, there's food insecurity for, for women, um, elderly women. There's women who have come back from Vietnam that did not know.

There's organizations that take care of that. Women in stem, um, women in, um, teaching Million Dollar Women's Club teaching. Women and youth at a college, how to, um, to enter a higher arena of leadership. There's so many across the board that we are giving to, and we all then are philanthropists because we are.

Pooling our funds. We've given over $300,000 now. Pooling our funds together, strategically giving them to vetted. We have a great, uh, vetting grant team and all of them volunteer their time and go through the submissions, and then we bring it to the board and we have a great process. And the members. Get, we all get together to see who we're giving them to if they're, you know, if you're available for that.

If not, you go online and see, wow, this is where my dollar 50 a day went, and that was easy. I didn't need that cup of coffee or that. Well, we did need the donut, but what the other thing they might not need. There's something there that when you break it down into the actual. What it is to make a change.

What little, how important are little dollar 40 a day is to make, to make a huge impact. And that's the type of philanthropy that we are going, we're, we're, you know. I call it cha challenging conventional concepts of philanthropy. You don't need to have millions of dollars. We can, as an individual to make a difference.

I didn't start out that way. I started out, you know, poor, we, we were poor. We had food stamps growing up in Brooklyn, New York. We were not, um, we were not even middle class. We, we, um, but my mom. Always gave, I always remember like someone, they would come to the door then and they weren't scams because who'd have thought about that?

You know? And our community was important, and UNICEF was important. We'd collect the, they send us out, we food drive. We had, you know, for four sisters and my mom, and, you know. Mm. No one else except my mom having three jobs in our house. 'cause she was divorced still. We gave a can or two of food away. So I guess that reminded me that I guess we can make an impact.

'cause I know people till this day. Tell me about, oh, your mom. She was so good. She was so kind. She always helped. She showed up with a, a platter, you know, when, when my mom or grandma was sick or passed away or something and that. Was That's true. And it made the difference then we're no different, you know now than we are then except our mind.

And we think there's too many people that need help and we can't make a difference. Truth is there are a lot of people that need help and we can, and so it doesn't, um. It doesn't need a gala. 'cause I think we don't wanna meet just once a year. We want to meet more often than that and talk about it and see where we're, see where we are making change.

And so that's really behind the collective giving at She Angels Foundation.

Passionistas: What you have built with both organizations is so incredible and. Not easy to do. So what have been kind of some of your biggest challenges with both of the organizations and how did you get through those difficult times?

Cat: Well, I'm going to spotlight now and, uh, she angels for were, because it's technology.

The great news is there's technology and the uphill battle is not our, um, it takes money to really get the technology. And so, um, and even at Shane's inspiration, you know, applying for grants that support that part of the organization, the collective giving its angels. Gives the grant. So we get, we go right into philanthropy. Where we need to grow is to be out there to be known more.

And so it's social media and it's, and it's technology and that's always a change 'cause it moves so fast and we, we need always need help there. And so. We really, um, struggle to find who will be the fit to help our, um, infrastructure is what we'll call it. And a pet peeve of mine is that you have to be a million dollar organization or more to get money, say from Melinda Gates Now.

A $250,000 grant to a woman's organization like She Angels Foundation would exponentially change things for us so we can get our Giving Circles program out, our mentorship program out and have, um, our better, um, platforms and that. Is with so many organizations that I mentored that are, we're in the gap of large organizations and grassroots, but grassroots organizations, even Shane's inspiration, you know, is that, uh, Bally, uh.

Liz Abzugs organization in uh, memory of her mom, Bella Abzu. We're under a million dollars of operating. This is because women don't like to spend a lot of money. We have a lot of volunteers. There's a good reason for that, and we get, we have a lot of impact and we're overlooked by. Some very good funding that could make our lives easier.

Whether it's Shane's inspiration or it's Bally or it's she Angels because we don't have a huge operating budget 'cause we're working smart doesn't mean that we're not having the numbers of serving the people. We're just not having the numbers of having as many people hired or rent or you know, especially, it's wonderful.

That we can zoom, um, meetings and we don't have to always travel somewhere to speak to people and that we, um, you know, can work from our home and we don't have to have a different office. So that saved so much. Yet we are overlooked. And that is. That's a critical thing in mind. I think we need to reach out to Melinda Gates and, uh, really explain Liz Abzo and I, we have a plan that we will speak with her.

So if you're out there and you know her and she's interested in informal because I know she is dedicated to women, and women causes and gives. Tirelessly. But I'm seeing that those that are in the gap of under a million dollar operating budget, our operating budgets under 200. It's very low. It's under, you know, because it's volunteers, um, and what we're doing that I think we can open her eyes and she could be.

Part of the change that we are working to make a She Angels Foundation.

Passionistas: And one of the things you wrote about in your book is that, that other, um, thing for charitable organizations where, you know, there's so many overblown charity or charities that the CEOs are making way too much money and, and, you know, giving everybody a bad name.

But there is this element of. Why? Why do charity organizations on a grassroots level have to be volunteer? Like why can't we get to a place where people who run these organizations are paid a decent wage for the work that they're doing and benefiting from it themselves? And that's something that we struggle with in the sisterhood is like.

Uh, can we charge people money for doing something good for people? And it's, it's this conflict that people have. Right. Talk a little bit about that. 'cause you talked about it so beautifully in your book.

Cat: I do talk about it in my book because a long time ago I was introduced to Dan Palata, you know, talk about paying fair wages.

Nonprofits to run like a for-profit profitable business and do the best they can do, should be able to hire the best that they have. Fortunately, when we, we have the best that we have in volunteers because. They don't need the money for a job, but it's not consistent. I, we can't move as fast. If we had, you know, I'm serving as the executive director, chief Financial Office, chief Bottle Wash and Cook, uh, Dr. Theresa Ashby is, is the co, the vice president of the organization. I'm the president, the co-chief bottle was and Cook. And we have Jill, we have so many that you've met and somebody that you haven't. So many great board members and. But it doesn't help on a day-to-day where we really need to have more.

And that happens with all the organizations because they can't hire the best because of the wage thing. And I believe in fair, good wages because you get good people and you do better. It's like walking in a good pair of shoes if you're in, um. A pair of shoes that's meant not to go onto the track, but there are walking shoes and you're running well.

You're only gonna get so far. And I think a lot of our organizations, we are in walking shoes, but man, we hit the ground running 'cause the need is critical and it's unmet. And if we could secure. Well, maybe let's, let's reach out to Sarah Blakely. She's also a wonderful, um, philanthropist. She created Spanx and also she created a shoe line called Sneak, and they're for the working women for High Heel sneakers that have this secret inner layer that, uh, kinda levels the playing field.

So you could be at work. And you are looking like you're all fancy and you're high heels, but you can run a little faster. So I think she, she might've planted the seed in my head. I know, like on my book, I don't know if you can see it, I have high heel sneakers with money all over it. There's a theme going on here, but I believe that, um, we would do much greater, greater, um.

Impact. We wouldn't be so overworked, we wouldn't be as stressed. And, um, yeah, I, I, I believe in the, you know, we need to get people on the payroll too, and have them have insurance and have the things that they would do. Now, these large organizations as well, they're doing great work. Have to hire more people at that level.

Grassroots, we can do it. With the smaller staff, but we still need to have a staff and not be volunteers. Uh, that's a topic I can sink my teeth into for hours and I don't like to, 'cause I, I hate that it's even a topic we have to bring up, you know, who works without getting paid. Volunteering, one thing is an few hours a week, but our volunteers, including myself, it's.

A lot of hours, a week and a day. Um, but you know, my plan, I'll, I'll be in Italy writing that book, or the third book or the fourth book, and still making an impact by volunteering. 'cause we'll find a solution, how to make both of those things work.

Passionistas: Absolutely. The other thing I love about you, and I think that's one of the things that that draws us to each other is how collaborative you are with other communities.

Um, we recently became an official collaborator where we're giving memberships to your, uh, grant recipients. And I think people are always surprised when they see communities, whether they're women-centric or not. Um, being open to collaboration with other communities. So why do you feel that's really important?

Cat: I feel like we're, we're, uh, there's not that. Competition. There's not scarcity. And if we start with that as our mindset, when we hear of another woman's organization, we don't wanna say, oh no, we're the best. We're the biggest. We're, we're like, what are you doing? And how can we collaborate? Because again, collectively we make our biggest impact.

And, um. There's not one charity, there's not one, um, printing shop. There's not one, you know, company that makes milk or butter. We all, you know, have maybe a different flavor that looks better to us. So getting together and sharing our ideas only make us stronger. And certainly when it comes to women's organizations, it's, it's an.

It is a little sometimes. In the past, I, I see where it came from in the sixties, what women were struggling to get a job, so one job and 10 women or 500 women. And so there was a lot of competition. And I think now what we see is the competition didn't come from the other women, it came from the culture.

And so what we have to do is change the culture, which again. I think more and more I see more and more women pioneering a culture of women, uh, collaborating rather than being separated. But we are on that together with you at the Passionista Project. I love it. Passionistas, come on. What a great, what a great thing because I think it, it describes so many of us women.

And there are some men Passionistas also, but we just gonna focus on the, on the women and, and those who identify as women and those who have this, um, urge to take their passion and live it fully.

Passionistas: I'd like to talk about your mantra, 'cause I think it's beautiful. So your mantra, be the light, see the light, share the light.

Talk about that phrase and what it means to you personally. That, that is so

Cat: funny because Liz swa, I don't know, 3, 4, 5, 6 years ago I was on her podcast and that's when it became, that is my mantra in my meditations in all of this since I was, for a long time I've been meditating and I have another, um.

Thing that I do, and I call it ate. I just don't want anybody to go like, oh, she meditates. Well, no, I'll midday mid-morning, depending on the time I woke that I, I'm tired, but I want to be in that zone and this is the perfect time for me to meditate and then kind of fall into a nap. I get a lot of creativity going on there.

So if I do it early and like. Ish in the day. I get, sometimes I get fired up for the rest of the day because that puts me in that zone. So in the zone when I'm there, um, I'm looking for the light, you know, and looking for the light and the moments that bring me. And so that's me, uh, feeling it, being it.

And then of course, now I have this light. And from where I stand, I love to be of service. So I want to, uh, you know, so I see the light, then I be the light, then I share the light because I want to. So it, it is, um, it, it came from just that beautiful place. When I first meditated, or I did not know I was meditating.

I was very young. I was 12. I was praying and. I remember the seeing this light, and for my, my whole life, ever since that place was the, the place to pray, to find, to be into, because I, it, it cre it took this scared 12-year-old little girl and it gave me. A sense of freedom, a sense of safety, probably more so than even freedom.

It, I, I felt safe there. And so, um, that's really where it stems from.

Passionistas: I love that. Ate, I'm gonna,

Cat: okay. I am into my next book. I, I have already, uh, I'm already maybe 10 chapters and 10 unfinished chapters, and I do put my. I do talk about Napitation because what the

Passionistas: I hope you've trademarked it.

Cat: I can trademarked Napitation. I, you know, I find that there's not that many new things or new ideas like what we're talking about today. Someone has thought about it, it's about implementing it. We need to put things into action. And action is, um. An idea is, doesn't go very far unless there's action put to it. So a lot of times people will come to us with these great ideas, even as nonprofits.

People are that love what we do in all the areas of nonprofit. I've seen this helping others. When I mentor. Other executive directors, I make sure I don't give them these great ideas that the now they have more things on their plate. Um, I make sure that if it, if it, if I do give them an idea, I'll have something to support their implementation of that idea.

Um, so my napitation, I'm sure there are many people on the planet who have done that and, uh. I did it for like a selfish reason. It was much easier for people to let me go. Uh, speaking. At that time it was my mother-in-law and my, you know, like if you're down, you have company over and I need, I needed to get away and to rest or take, you know, 10, I would call it meditate.

And I think then my husband at the time would say, well, I think that's a nap. So it's a napitation. So. You know, those ideas

Passionistas: melded. I love it. So for those people that do have that idea, but they don't know how to implement it, like you've started two separate foundations and whether it's a foundation or some other business idea, what advice do you have for somebody who's just, they've got the idea.

They know. They know what that first step is that they should take, but they just can't. Allow themselves to do it.

Cat: First of all, fleshing out your idea. And these days it's so easy with, you know, we have all these tools to look to see, uh, the, you know, the due diligence of it all. I mean, that, that is the first step that, that you're taking.

And then for me, mentors are so important. To, and it's usually not like when you're going for money. It's angels donors, which are your friends and family, your close friends and close family. 'cause they know you, so hopefully they know you and may, may wanna invest in you. But usually it's not your close friends or family who you're gonna ask about your big next idea because they're either gonna try to protect you from it failing.

Which is not something I would suggest because sometimes we fail and fail and fail and fail again. And as you see, we, you can fail up until it becomes, you never know what that will become. And so research and if you have. Any money for yourself to put that aside to, to hire somebody that's objective, but somebody that someone refers you to.

'cause I'm really big on references this, you know, 'cause that does, it holds someone else accountable. Uh, there are a lot of people out there that say they do one thing and where are their results? You know, search out somebody. Through a friend that you could use your friend that that has had results in the next step of developing your business. And because it's the right questions that someone has to ask you. So depending if you were gonna come to me, if you were starting a nonprofit, I'll ask you the right questions for you to make your second, third, or fourth move. Um. But if you're coming to me and gonna open up your ice cream shop, I probably wouldn't know what Right.

Questions to ask you. I, I'm gonna ask you all the questions of what flavor, how soon can I have some, is this mentoring gonna be paid in ice cream? You know, all those kind of questions is, but, um, so finding that right person, the, the, to help ask. Making sure you're asking the right questions before you throw your, and then then number two, throw your hat over the wall by two Irish kids that I think Robert Kennedy used in his inauguration speech.

Because then you're gonna have to go get this, there's a whole quote about throwing your hat over the wall. You walk up to the wall, now you're gonna have to go get it. I'm big on that quote. I'm big on, um. Certain quotes because I love them and they inspire me, so I like to borrow them and try to remember who wrote them so no one thinks that was my quote.

But that one is important because you, once you throw your hat over the wall, you, you're not looking back at every mistake you've made. You know, you, you, you look back a little bit. You have to brush it off and then move forward and move forward and then, you know. That you're all in. And if you're all in and you succeed and you succeed and wildly, then you've given it your best shot.

And if you're all in and the success doesn't come and you need to pivot and turn, you know you've given it your best shot.

Passionistas: The last grant that she Angels gave, the most recent one was to a brilliant filmmaker and she Angels is gonna be a little more involved in this project than just giving the grant. Is this something you can talk about publicly now? Are we at that stage?

Cat: Yes, we can Sure. That she would love that. We, well talk about it. So she, TV media is the, um, grant recipient and she, TV media is, uh, Meredith Ger and she's with Dr. Maria Eloco are creating a documentary because Dr. Eloco is of.

Renowned neurologist and in women's medical study, you can even talk a little bit about it once you said, so they're doing a documentary called Vulva LA Revolution, and it is, you know, we are, women's healthcare is not at its finest and it's uncovering. A lot of gaslighting and misdiagnosis and so on. So as she Angel's Foundation, when the documentary is complete, we're, we are going to, um, again, collaborate with and stand side by side one, they.

Reveal their film and talk about the power of She Angels and all of us women bringing these things. Maybe you can, uh, expand a little bit more on what they're doing and we're giving them a $20,000 grant, the largest grant we've given so far, because as I said. Oh, I think the world begins at the vulva anyway.

It's gonna, you know, pretty sure none of us outta that, right? So let's have a revolution.

Passionistas: Yeah. I was blown away by the filmmaker, but also that doctor because. I think she said she's one of the only one of seven doctors in the world that has gone through the fellowship program for male and female reproductive health.

Yes. Um, and she was brilliant. And the story she told, she gave an example of a woman who had been misdiagnosed over and over and over again and finally got connected to this wonderful doctor and. They, she started to explain her symptoms and within five minutes the doctor said, I know what's wrong and I, here's what you need to do.

It was a complete, complete misdiagnosis for years. This woman was at the end of her rope, and we have heard that story from so many other women. But we've never heard the part where the doctor says, I know what's wrong in five minutes. And the fact that, I think the statistic is only half of the universities in America, the in the United States, teach women's health.

Cat: They don't teach it on their own selves and their own bodies when they're even women. And the fact that women ob uh, women's operations get paid less, the, the surgeon gets paid less to work on a woman than a man. Like she went on, she was, she is. Brilliant. I do, uh, say that. And it was shot everything that we learned.

One thing after another that day in a short period of time, she was able to make us all sit there with our mouth scaping open of the talk about inequity of like, and, and this is in the woman's health arena. This is crazy because. Half of our population, over half are women.

Passionistas: It's a really important film and we can't wait to help spread the word about it.

Um, as you continue on the journey.

Cat: We're so grateful to you, by the way, both you, Nancy, and Amy, and the Passionistas Project for recognizing she Angels and all our grantees because. Again, this is what makes us special and go around because even this woman who's a doctor and she's got her hands full, being one of seven in the world still, she wants a woman's community.

Still there is, if we don't give that time to ourselves, that's the worst medicine. So we, you know, practicing the best medicine is sharing. With different community communities and being part of them. So the Passionista project community is, uh, is just so special and we're so grateful that you'll including our grantees, that makes you like a she angel. Aha.

Passionistas: We are honored to be a part of it. We've been wanting to do this for a while, so we're glad it's finally coming together. Um, and we appreciate that you said that. Um, so what's a moment in this journey of yours that's really surprised you? What's like a moment that was a surprising moment of joy for you in the midst of all of the hard work that you've done?

Cat: I'm, uh, I'm surprised easily. I'm tickled, uh, a lot and I am grateful in, in my, um, so when you say surprise, it's the, um, I, I don't wanna say it's a surprise because somewhere I knew the willingness of so many women to. To show up and share and, um. Contribute in all the ways and any of the ways that they can, uh, all the, all the time.

You know, I did, I get was, I surprised when 65 people showed up at my house the other day instead of 50 who signed up to it. I'm like, wow. They, we, you know. The surprise is not a surprise. If you build it, they will come, but sometimes you're sitting there going, if you build it, okay, you know I am like most of us, I am working towards having the doubt not have me.

I guess I have it, it's here. I have doubt, I have fear and, but I work on it not. Consuming me on days, on any, on any given day. And I am, I am surprised at how often that so many people show up and that I love it. That, and that we've given this amount of money. So, um, that, and in, in my life in general, I, I'm.

I'm just surprised at so many beautiful, beautiful things like the deer that might just pop out in my backyard tomorrow or, or in a little while. They come in the morning and come out. I'm surprised. Now. Why am I surprised? I live where the deer live over there. I, but every time it is new to me,

Passionistas: so. So how can people find out more about She Angels and get in touch with you?

Cat: So easy. She angels foundation.org and there's, there is, um. A workflow and technology set up there so they can, they can also, if they want to give a gift to a friend who just had a birthday or bar mitzvah or maybe a memory of someone, they can make a donation in their honor. Just saying all the things that they can do, they can shop on our site.

We have a cute t-shirt and hat. Um. And then they can reach me through there because it will it, it will request, there's something to fill out. And of course, if you're a woman who has an organization that, if you go to she angels foundation.org again and look on a website it show it, that's where you can actually find the grant application.

And you could also find out more about us and who we've given to in the past for She Angels, and then, uh, Shane's inspiration. Well, just my name, Catherine Curry Williams. I was even surprised myself if I Google myself, you ever do that? First time you ever do that? You Google yourself. You go like, I never even saw that picture.

It was scary. I said that I did what? Yeah.

Passionistas: One last two part question, which is what is your dream for yourself and what is your dream for women?

Cat: My dream for myself is to find the place of peace as a woman with my daughter Grace, who also is 25, and the dream is for her.

And, and now this will include the women. This is the future of our world, not just our country, to, um, to equal and level the playing field that my daughter is, is, uh, on this planet that when we are women for women, that we get to run. Because, you know, the GSD, I'm gonna say it. We get shit done and I, and we need to run things and put a woman in the White House.

Thank you. Uh uh, Cheryl Crow, who wrote that song. It's time because my dream is then my daughter and her children and her friends, and those generations after us will have. Beautiful planet. Like we're, like, I'm looking at right now, I have to say there's wildfires happening not that far from me. It's too close, even though it's far, it's in Santa Maria.

And I want us as women how we don't, might not know how to, um, you know, we're not completely gonna change the climate from here, but we're gonna find solutions to slow the catastrophes and, and the, um. In that down. So my wish for women is for us to get a hold of things before they are, um, because I believe that there's still possibility and for women to believe there are possibilities.

And don't just get angry, get involved, take action. Little actions make small. You know, I'm gonna be, you know, cliche ripple effects. It's, it's, if anything has been true, that holds true everywhere we go, the ripple effect from bad or good. So let's start a good ripple effect.

Passionistas: Thanks for listening to the Passionistas Project Podcast.

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