Catalina’s nonprofit experience includes senior and executive leadership roles at Partnership for Central America, National Immigration Forum, Council for a Strong America, the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, and the Fund for Global Human Rights. As an early career professional, Catalina was a program officer for the U.S. Department of Education. She also gained nonprofit management experience at organizations such as Global Kids, One World Youth Project, Latin American Youth Center, and Asian American LEAD. Catalina is fluent in Spanish, conversant in French, and her substantive expertise is in civic education. She received an honors bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in human and organizational development from George Washington University. During her time at GW, she received a Fulbright fellowship for research focusing on civic engagement and peace education among youth in Colombia while affiliated with Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá. In her free time, she loves singing a good cumbia and taking long waterfront walks with her husband Jim.

For 15 years as a part of refine+focus, a growth consulting firm with a people-focused approach, Purnima has empowered companies ranging from Fortune 100 to high-growth startups to achieve their potential. These include Philips, Symantec, Mylan, Viatris, Aurobindo, ProPhase Labs, ACP Decisions, Vantage Mobility International, and leaders across many industries. The people-focused approach included deep listening, asking the right questions and finally providing clear and actionable insights to grow revenue, enhance reputation, and turn organizations into market leaders.

As an extension of her consulting services, she coached 100s of leaders and their teams to execute strategic plans, collaborate effectively, and achieve specific goals. Every year the internship program led by Purnima receives 600+ applications for 6 spots, only because of the great coaching reputation of this program. 

Recognizing that coaching is her calling and being a small part of people’s big success brings her true joy, she enrolled in Brown University’s Leadership and Performance Coaching program, ACC with the International Coaching Federation, expected Sept 2024. Purnima is a continuous learner and a true T-shaped person with deep expertise in people and overarching expertise in operations, design, finance, accounting, technology, and innovation. She is a trained architect and has MBA and MFin, serves on the board of Global Arts Live (an organization dedicated to connecting people at a deeper level through performance art). Purnima gets her energy from people and teaches Bollywood Dance Workout, 5 times a week.

Jeremiah Lowery joined Legal Aid DC in 2024 as Director of Policy Advocacy. In his role, he shapes Legal Aid’s legislative and policy agenda and advocacy efforts on key issues affecting our client community. 

Jeremiah is a native Washingtonian who brings to Legal Aid over 10 years of experience in advocacy, public policy, and community mobilization. Most recently, he served as Advocacy Director for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association for nearly five years, and previously held roles at nonprofit and advocacy organizations including GreenPeace, Universal Childcare NOW DC Coalition, and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.  He was named to BlackMillenial for Flint’s Young, Gifted & Green 40 Under 40 list, Elevation D.C. Magazine’s 50 Under 50 Food Heroes list, and was recognized as the League of American Bicyclists’ 2024 Professional Advocate of the Year. He is passionate about economic and housing justice, environmental justice, early childhood education, and making Washington, D.C. a more equitable place to live.

Director of User Experience, New York Post

I’m a UX and visual designer who wears many hats. I actually do have a rather big hat collection, but we can save that conversation for another day. I have a passion for digital design, music, art, and building things in the analog world. My design career started out in the print world, but with the rapid change in industry standards, I got into the digital world where I wanted and needed to be. There was certainly a learning curve when it came to front-end development, and I’m glad I have the chops to understand more about websites and, ultimately, user experiences. Today, I’m involved in the UX process as a whole rather than just a visual and front-end. I really enjoy seeing products come to life from research, user feedback, wire-framing, design, and prototyping. Launch can be a real nail-biter, but in the end, it’s rewarding because your users validate a good percentage of your work. The key for me is knowing that something works for the user in the end and feedback is always appreciated.​​​​​​​