The Catalyst
Issue #2
Originally Distributed October 15, 2025
Dear Changemakers,
This season feels alive with possibility. From classrooms here in South Georgian Bay to community projects across the globe, we’re seeing what happens when bold ideas meet collective action.
In this issue, I’m sharing tools, stories, and sparks of clarity to help you stay grounded in what matters most: people, purpose, and possibility.
— Jess
Inside this issue:
Framework – The Empathy Map (with thanks to Georgian College’s Social Innovation Department + Community Impact Lab Network)
Field Notes – • The Academy of South Georgian Bay Info Sessions • Micro-Certs: Why “bite-sized credentials” are the new trend in higher ed • Potential projects unfolding in Kenya & Ethiopia
Spotlight – Changemakers Workshops: Bringing entrepreneurship + empowerment to local classrooms (Grades 5–12)
Media Room – EmpowerED is back in the studio! Apply now to be featured in 2026 episodes
Action Prompt – One question to shift how you see your work this week
Collab Lab Breakthrough – This month’s subscriber giveaway winner announced!
Closing Reflection with Dr. Jane Goodall
Framework of the Month
Credit: Georgian College’s Social Innovation Department & Community Impact Lab Network
The Empathy Map is a simple but powerful tool for better understanding the people you serve — whether that’s clients, students, or community members.
Ask:
What do they see around them?
What do they hear from friends, leaders, or influencers?
What do they say and do in daily life?
What do they think and feel beneath the surface?
👉 Try this next time you’re designing a program, product, or even a meeting. Mapping lived experience builds solutions that stick because they’re rooted in reality, not assumptions.
Prompt: If you’ve used an Empathy Map before, hit reply — I’d love to hear what surfaced for you.
Field Notes
What we’re working on (and what it’s shifting)
The Academy of South Georgian Bay
Info sessions are underway for this not-for-profit alternative high school, and families are asking bold questions about what a truly future-ready school should look like. Every conversation is proof: education is shifting.
Micro-Certifications on the Rise
Higher education is evolving — and micro-certifications are leading the shift. Short, focused, and stackable, these credentials bridge the gap between passion and practice.
They offer learners (and leaders) the chance to upskill quickly, explore new areas of interest, and apply knowledge in real-world contexts — all without the traditional barriers of time or cost.
It’s an approach I’m excited to be contributing to through recent work with Georgian College’s Social Innovation Department — where we’re designing opportunities that make changemaking accessible, actionable, and measurable.
As this ecosystem grows, I see enormous potential for our local community to engage in microlearning for social innovation — small, meaningful steps that add up to big impact.
Explore what’s already happening: Ontario’s Micro-credential Portal to browse all current 2716 micro-credentials from institutions across Ontario.
Global Seeds in Kenya & Ethiopia
Early conversations are underway about extending entrepreneurship and empowerment programs into new regions. It’s a reminder that changemaking knows no borders. Stay tuned for exciting announcements on collaborations happening outside of Canada!
Spotlight: Community of Changemakers
FREE Workshops for Youth in Grades 5-12
This fall, we’re inviting local classrooms (Grades 5–12) to experience free Changemakers Workshops. Students and teachers are stepping into creativity, collaboration, and purpose-driven problem-solving.
Please share this opportunity with the teachers and principals in your life!
✨Because when you give young people the frameworks, they don’t just dream about the future — they start building it.
Media Room
EmpowerED is back in studio — new episodes are in production, unleashing local wisdom for widespread impact.
📩 Interested in being part of Season 2026? Apply today!
Take Action
Your Catalyst moves this month
Before your next planning session, try swapping the question “What do we need to get done?” with
“Who do we need to understand better?”
Because clarity often comes not from looking inward, but from stepping into someone else’s shoes.
Collab Lab Breakthroughs
October’s winner:
ANDREA, M!
Andrea, I’ll be reaching out personally so you can share the focus area or question you’d like me to explore in your note. Think of it as your own mini strategy session — a quick burst of clarity, perspective, and momentum.
Each month, one Catalyst subscriber wins a personalized 3–5 minute voice or video note from me — unpacking your challenge, sharing a framework, or sparking new ideas to move your work forward.
Want in for next month?
The next winner (first name + last initial) will be announced in the November issue of The Catalyst — exclusively for subscribers.
Closing Message
Thank you for reading the second edition of The Catalyst.
This isn’t just a newsletter — it’s a space to share the tools, ideas, and sparks of change that help us move from vision to action. Together, we’re building not just projects, but flourishing futures.
As I was reflecting on this month’s theme of empathy and changemaking, I sat with a message we’ve all recently received — Jane Goodall’s final words to the world, recorded in March 2025 and released posthumously this month:
“I want to make sure you all understand that each and every one of you has a role to play... your life does matter, and every single day you live, you make a difference in the world. And you get to choose the difference that you make.”
Her words feel like both a whisper and a call — a reminder that each of us, in our own way, has the power to choose the difference we make.
If something in this issue resonated, here’s how you can amplify the impact:
Forward this to someone in your circle who’s leading change (big or small).
Hit reply and tell me: where are you seeing the biggest opportunities for empathy, innovation, or momentum right now?
Until then — keep moving boldly,
Jess