Catalyst Leadership Institute
Leadership for a world in transformation.
Turn your love for the Earth into meaningful action. Develop the skills, relationships, and confidence to transform your vision for a better future into real-world solutions that help people and the Earth thrive.
Leadership for a Flourishing Future
We are living through a time of extraordinary challenge—and extraordinary possibility.
Environmental crises, social disintegration, and runaway technology are reshaping our world. At the same time, we also live in a time of incredible movements which are developing creative solutions and new ways forward.
We need leadership to bring these solutions to life at every level of society, from local communities to the global systems that shape our world.
Building on 30 years of Pachamama Alliance’s global experience, the Catalyst Leadership Institute (Catalyst) equips people and organizations with the skills, relationships, and inner capacity to create a thriving and regenerative future.
Whether someone is taking their first step into community action or is a seasoned leader looking to transform an established organization, Catalyst offers courses that combine practical tools, strategies, relational wisdom, and a deeper connection to the living world—turning vision into reality.
Learn through action. Lead through relationships. Create a future where all life can flourish.
Proven impact across the world
The Catalyst Leadership Institute courses build on six years of Pachamama Alliance Action Training, evolving a proven approach to leadership development for today’s challenges.
From reviving forests and launching green businesses to converting towns to green energy and building climate action movements, 92% of participants say the training prepared them for effective, sustainable action.
Graduates across 15 countries and 23 states
Projects designed, incubated, and launched
Community members mobilized into action
Lives positively impacted
Project Examples Created by Graduates
Oregon Climate Action Hub (ORCAH)
Oregon, United States
David Hakan and his team created the state’s first website that networks all climate organizations in the state and connects people to the climate solutions taking place in their community and across the state.
Interfaith Creation Care of the
Triangle
North Carolina, United States
An interfaith alliance of 74 organizations created to educate and activate individuals and faith communities to implement local green actions. They are currently working to help direct Federal climate funds to low income families in the area.
Environmental Awareness Reclamation for Total Health (EARTH)
Kenya
Micah Opondo has organized 22 community organizations and 30 schools to plant over 300,000 trees.
Citywide Sustainability Council
New York, United States
Pat Wartinger, a former high school teacher with no previous experience in activism, convinced her city council to create a Sustainability Committee and became the Chair. In under a year she moved the town towards renewable infrastructure, including a citywide composting program and switching all street lights to LEDs, which reduced the power usage by 75%.
Consciousness projects for the fragile ecosystems in the world
Brazil
Jan Paul Buijs helped create drinking water infrastructure for the NukinÌ tribe in Brazil; a hybrid health center for the Shipibo-Conibo tribe in Pucallpa, Peru; and the development of an art school in the Cerrado of Brazil.
Cincinnati Nature Center
Ohio, United States
Ted Bergh helped form a Climate Action Advocacy team to mobilize the Nature Center’s 16,000 members into legislative lobbying on environmental and energy policy in the Ohio legislature.
Magic Radio FM
Buchanan, Liberia
Christopher Yarwoe created Magic FM, a radio station and community center that educates his city and country about climate change, forest protection, and how people can actively engage in protecting their lands and communities.
Dialogs on the Future of Farming
Kansas, United States
Noni Strand is working with the local Catholic Bishop to have a series of in-depth listening sessions with rural groups in Kansas to create a vision for their future. They explore the struggles of farmers with our current food system and work to develop a vision for a food system that works for the farmers and for the land. Through the dialogues, they are slowly, humbly, creating openings to discuss the impacts of climate change, looking for solutions that bridge the political divides.
GoFundMe GreenTeam Education Project
Washington, United States
Scott Hensen, a Vice-President at GoFundMe, is supporting its 500 employees and company leaders to engage in regenerative advocacy and solutions through GoFundM’s network and platform.
Courses designed for every level of experience
Catalyst offers courses for people at every stage of their journey into action.
- New to community action? We'll help you discover how your skills and passion can make a difference, connect with projects underway in your community, and take action.
- Ready to lead a project? We'll inspire you to turn an idea into a real-world initiative, with hands-on coaching and group support.
- An experienced leader? We'll teach you holistic leadership practices that weave systems thinking, relational wisdom, and connection to Earth into your organization and initiatives.
Learn through action
Catalyst is grounded in a simple idea: the best way to learn is to put learning into practice.
Across Catalyst programs, participants learn by doing—building relationships, understanding systems, navigating differences, developing strategy, and responding to real challenges. The goal isn’t simply to gain new knowledge, but to build the skills, confidence, and capacity to lead meaningful change in the real world.
Whether you are embarking on your own climate project or learning to facilitate and adapt our methodology as a Trainer for your own organization, Catalyst combines practical tools, relational wisdom, and deep Earth connection to help you turn vision into lasting impact.
Pathways to Action
Ready to turn your passion into action? Whether you want to launch a project in your own community or train others to lead, there is a path forward. Select the path that meets you where you are in your leadership journey.
Catalyst Leadership Training
Turn your vision into action.
A hands-on leadership experience created for people to gain practical skills to design, incubate, and launch a real-world environmental solution.
Participants join a small cohort of 5-8 peers guided by an experienced Moderator. Over 12 weeks they develop the capacity to cultivate local climate initiatives from the ground up, transforming an initial idea into a clear plan.
Best for: People who are new to community action, ready to lead a project, or looking to deepen their leadership skills.
Catalyst for Trainers
Bring Catalyst to your community.
An advanced experience for seasoned organizers, facilitators, educators, and leaders who want to bring Catalyst Training to their own organizations, networks, and communities.
Participants learn how to adapt the Catalyst methodology to fit different contexts and develop the skills to guide others to create change. As a Trainer, you'll also have access to implementation grant opportunities through Pachamama Alliance.
Best for: Experienced leaders with who want to support others in taking meaningful action.
One institute. A global network of leadership programs.
Since 2020, Pachamama Alliance has built a global network of Action Trainings, collaborating with leaders across 15 countries—from local activists to business entrepreneurs and government leaders—to develop trainings to meet the needs of our diverse world.
The Catalyst Leadership Institute builds on this global experience, offering a family of leadership programs. Each program shares a common methodology, shaped by 30 years of Pachamama Alliance’s work with people and organizations creating change—from grassroots communities to global partnerships.
Current Programs
Community Action Training (CAT)
A hands-on leadership program for people who want to create environmental and climate solutions in their communities. Participants develop the skills, relationships, and strategies to turn ideas into action—from restoring ecosystems and advancing clean energy to creating regenerative systems.
Living Systems Leadership Incubator
For business leaders working to bring regenerative, life-aligned transformation into their organizations and the broader economy. Developed in partnership with the Flourishing Systems Foundation, the program builds the capacity needed to lead complex, transformative change.
Faith-Inspired Action
Grounded in sacred reciprocity, this program is for people of all faiths who want to mobilize congregations and communities. Participants develop approaches for engaging others, building relationships, and moving communities into collective action.
Entrenamiento de Círculos de Coherencia y Acción (ECCA)
(Coherence and Action Circles Training)
A Spanish-language program supporting environmental and social change across Latin America.
7 Generations Leadership Japan
A Japanese-language Catalyst program, built in partnership with 7 Generations and adapted to the cultural and political context of Japan.
Bhoomi Kriya
A leadership training in India, developed in partnership with the YES India Eco-Jam network, a community of environmental changemakers and climate leaders.
Catalyst Kenya
A new program bringing the Catalyst methodology to communities across Kenya, developed in partnership with Community Justice Centers—a network of grassroots, community-led human rights and social justice organizations.
The Catalyst approach to leadership
Creating a flourishing future calls for new ways of thinking—and new ways of leading. The world is calling for people who can take action to heal the divides between humanity and Earth, across communities, and within ourselves.
Every Catalyst course is grounded in Pachamama Alliance’s decades of experience in transformative education. Designed differently from conventional training programs, the Catalyst methodology draws on participatory learning, social movements, and Indigenous knowledge.
How we teach is as important as what we teach. All courses are experiential, embodied, collective, and rooted in action. Tailored to participants' experience levels, each program meets people where they are—honoring their unique talents, questions, and resources.
Ways to engage
Participate in a Catalyst course
Take the journey alongside fellow change agents.
In Catalyst courses, learning happens in community. You’ll be part of an Action Team—a group of 5–8 people learning and taking action together.
The training happens online. You’ll learn new skills each week and put them into practice immediately, with guidance from a Moderator and support from your peers. You can form an Action Team with people you know or join one organized by Catalyst.
Our next Community Action Training will be in early 2027.
Train others to lead
Bring Catalyst to your community, organization, or business.
An integral component of the Catalyst Leadership Institute is partnering with leaders and organizations who want to bring the methodology and trainings to their networks.
Through Catalyst for Trainers, participants learn how to adapt the Catalyst methodology to fit different contexts and develop the skills to guide others. As a Trainer, you'll also have access to implementation grant opportunities through Pachamama Alliance.
Let us know you're interested
Creating a thriving future for Earth doesn't happen through any one project or organization. It happens when people develop the capacity to act—and help others do the same. Whether there’s already a project in mind or simply a desire to do more, Catalyst can help identify the right path forward.
Tell us a bit about yourself, and we'll send you full details on the training—including how to apply, enroll, and join an upcoming info session.
Participant testimonials
“The training gives concrete skills and frameworks to 'go out and do something' that you've always dreamed of doing but needed a bit of encouragement and structure to act on.”
“The training turned inspiration into concrete actions. It helped me solidify ideas, shape a project, and develop an action plan to make it a reality.”
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Creating a thriving future for Earth doesn't happen through any one project or organization. It happens when people develop the capacity to act—and help others do the same.
Catalyst can help turn what you care about into something you can do, with others, where you are. The call to protect what protects us doesn't belong to a few people. It belongs to all of us.
Whether there’s already a project in mind or simply a desire to do more, Catalyst can help identify the right path forward.
Tell us a bit about yourself, and we'll send you full details on the training—including how to apply, enroll, and join an upcoming info session.
Giving via Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)
To make a QCD from your IRA, please have your administrator send it to:
- Organization Name: Pachamama Alliance
- Tax ID (EIN): 94-3249793
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box San Francisco, CA 94104
Please notify us at donations@pachamama.org so we can acknowledge your gift.