Highlights
June 2011 - Catalyst has over 65 collaborative partners registered in the Catalyst Network.
June 2011 - Catalyst's participating Board members successfully completed the Annenberg Alchemy Leadership Training program.
June 2011 - Catalyst announces new Grants Paid Forward program. Applications now available.
June 2011 - Catalyst was a sponsor for the Autism in Long Beach collaborative picnic.
June 2011 - Continued progress with developing the Long Beach Leadership Collaborative. New to the discussion was the CSULB Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership.
June 2011 - Dancing with Long Beach featured site-specific demonstrations in the Promenade area by Dembrehrah West African Drum & Dance, Colette Harding Contemporary Dance Company, DatuganDanceTheatre, and Sirena Serpentina.
June 2011 - 3rd Annual Green Long Beach! Festival was a success!
June 2011 - Crafty Earthlings awarded micro-grant by the Arts Council for Long Beach.
June 2011 - Catalyst begins implementing updated strategic plan.
June 2011 - Catalyst Founder Eric Leocadio awarded the Human Rights Award from the Teachers Association of Long Beach.
May 2011 - Catalyst hosts another gathering of the Emerging Leaders Network.
May 2011 - Catalyst adopts collaborative project Crafty Earthlings with partners Aldana Mica, Leap Frog Yoga, and artist Marisela Hernandez for the residents of Century Villages at Cabrillo.
May 2011 - We walked in the Long Beach Pride Parade with over 30 people representing the Catalyst Network of Communities.
May 2011 - Teen Empowerment Collaborative in partnership with HPSWAP, the H.O.P.E. Foundation, and LA's Prom Closet provided prom dresses to teens in need, sponsored 10 prom tickets, and facilitated empowerment workshops for the teens. One recipient won prom queen!
May 2011 - Long Beach Theatre Arts Collaborative has been partnering with Watts Village Theatre Company for the Meet Me @Metro II project.
May 2011 - Dancing with Long Beach featured Dorcas Roman Dance Theatre for site-specific dance demonstrations at Bluff Park, the beach stairway, and the Belmont/Veterans Pier.
May 2011 - Catalyst partners with The Center Long Beach for a Harvey Milk Day Art Exhibit and Reception at Exhibit[A] Gallery.
May 2011 - Catalyst continues conversation with several other groups about the possible formation of a Long Beach Leadership Collaborative; joining the dialogue are Neighborhood Leadership Program, CSULB Leadership Academy program and Leadership Resource Center, LBCC Leadership programs, Connected Corridor, Circle of Change Leadership Conference, as well as previous groups.
May 2011 - Catalyst completes development of a new Collaborative Project Funding Toolkit to assist people working in collaboration towards a social action project.
April 2011 - Catalyst hosts first Emerging Leaders Network gathering - an informal support group for Founders, Executive Directors, and Business Owners within the Catalyst Network.
April 2011 - Green Long Beach hosts an earth day art show at the Catalyst Space for over 200 people.
April 2011 - Dancing with Long Beach hosts a dance show featuring the art and diversity of dance with numerous different dance groups.
April 2011 - Catalyst has over 40 collaborative partners registered in the Catalyst Network.
April 2011 - We hosted our first annual Assembly of the Catalyst Network of Communities gathering together about 200 people affiliated with over 79 different organizations coming from over 39 zip codes. We had guest speaker 1st District City Councilman Robert Garcia, music by Paper City, dance performances by Domino Affect Dance Company and also Sina Muckenfuss of Malice Dreaming.
March 2011 - Catalyst hosted a Chili Cook-off event with guest judges Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal, Chef Paul Buchanan (Primal Alchemy Catering), Chef Paul (The Cellar), and Chef Joan Samson (Starling Diner).
March 2011 - Catalyst partners with the Teachers Association of Long Beach and the Petrolane Boys & Girls Club to host "Teachers for the Arts" offering several interactive art stations for the kids at the Boys & Girls Club. Stations included dance, theatre, yoga, canvas making, guitar-box making, and rain-stick making.
March 2011 - Catalyst interviewed on Swoop's World online radio.
March 2011 - Catalyst Board approves fiscal sponsorship and adopts into our organization EcoFit, SoCal Harvest, Foodscape Long Beach, The Narra Project, Give Canvas, A.C.T.S., DSB Sisterhood Network, Shift Long Beach, and Leap Frog Yoga.
March 2011 - Dancing with Long Beach featured ArchiTexture Dance Company for site-specific dance demonstration in the Pike area, downtown Long Beach.
March 2011 - Dancing with Long Beach awarded micro-grant from the Arts Council for Long Beach.
March 2011 - Catalyst Board members participate in the Annenberg Alchemy Leadership Training program.
March 2011 - We began developing our new Concierge Services program.
February 2011 - Catalyst and several partners participate in the first ever Pepsi Refresh Creative Reuse Day, hosted by the Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse. Dancing with Long Beach featured dance choreographer Dorcas Roman of Dorcas-Roman Dance Theatre (DRDT) for site-specific dance demonstration in the East Village Arts District, downtown Long Beach.
February 2011 - Catalyst initiates discussions about the formation of a citywide Long Beach Leadership Collaborative; talking with Leadership Long Beach, Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership, Reside & Associates, and Z-People Builder.
January 2011 - Catalyst begins asking partners to formally become part of the Catalyst Network. We're starting with 9 collaborative partners sharing our values and joining the Network.
January 2011 - OutFaith hosts a Dynamic Dinner - an event for people of varying perspectives to share and learn from each other.
January 2011 - Dancing with Long Beach featured Sakara Dance Company and Zumba USA for site-specific dance demonstrations in the City Place area of downtown Long Beach.
December 2010 - Catalyst featured in a three-part series in LBPOST.com.
December 2010 - Dancing with Long Beach, a project of Catalyst with several other collaborative partners (DatuganDanceTheatre, Trade&Row, Morelly Flags & Banners, Solshock, Domino Affect Dance Company), begins monthly site-specific dance demonstrations in the city. Our first demo was done on 2nd Street in Belmont Shore by dancer Rebekah Davidson and also Robert Scott Dance Company.
December 2010 - LBCreative! and 14 other collaborative partners organized MIXMAS - a collaborative celebration of community, art, and culture featuring over 12 live music performances, live art, dozens of arts vendors, and donation drives.
December 2010 - Justin Rudd and the Community Action Team sponsored a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner for 40 of Catalyst's core volunteers.
November 2010 - OutFaith hosts community Faith & Sexuality Q&A with visiting Bishop Christopher Senyonjo from Uganda.
November 2010 - The HUB is relaunched as The HUB Community Center, a project of Catalyst, sponsored by Hancock University. Pedal Movement officially becomes an independent community bike advocacy group.
November 2010 - We became fiscal sponsors for community groups Foundation 101, The Rock Club, and So-Cal Gals.
November 2010 - Green Long Beach! hosts Harvest Potluck.
October 2010 - The Catalyst Network of Communities partners with non-profit Greater People to facilitate a collaborative campaign called OutFaith to provide creative experiences that inform and engage all people on the LGBT journey through faith.
October 2010 - LBCreative! participates in Day of the Dead event at the Autry museum is Los Angeles by commissioning local Long Beach artist Juan Sanchez Diaz to create an altar representing the Tongva Indians - the indigenous peoples that occupied the Long Beach area many years ago.
October 2010 - We got a new DBA now officially 'doing business as' the Catalyst Network of Communities.
October 2010 - Long Beach Community Foundation awards us Connected Corridor grants for both the Catalyst Space and for the LBCreative! mixers. Also awarded grants were the Long Beach Time Exchange and Stellar Organizational Development.
October 2010 - We became fiscal sponsors for community groups Long Beach Time Exchange and Stellar Organizational Development.
Sept 2010 - We became fiscal sponsors for community group Drum For Love - an interactive drum circle community.
Sept 2010 - Green Long Beach! hosts mixer to introduce new mission objectives.
August 2010 - Held a Swervemat dinner gathering of various church leaders elevating the conversation about faith and sexuality.
August 2010 - LBCreative! partners with LORE Productions and the Autry National Center (the Autry museum) to provide an artists-created altar for Day of the Dead event in October 2010.
August 2010 - LBCreative! helps to organize the 2nd Annual Long Beach Funk Fest.
July thru Sept 2010 - Launched three new collaborative communities: HPSWAP community, Long Beach Theatre Arts Collaborative (LBTAC), and Teen Empowerment community.
July 2010 - Partnered with Boys & Girls Club to help organize a Cultural Diversity Festival hosted by City Councilman Dee Andrews, 6th District for October 2010.
June 2010 - Held auditions for Urban Rhythm show choir for youth and young adults ages 14-25.
June 2010 - Pedal Movement partnered with the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition to organize Long Beach pit stops at Shoreline Village and at the HUB for the 10th annual Los Angeles River Ride.
May 2010 - We partnered with Datugan Dance Theatre to co-host the 1st Annual Long Beach Dance Festival for October 2011. Organizing begins!
May 2010 - We walked in the Long Beach Pride Parade for the first time with over 40 people representing the Catalyst Network of Communities.
May 2010 - We became fiscal sponsors for community group Long Beach Grows - a community urban agricultural co-op.
May 2010 - Green Long Beach! spearheaded the 2nd annual Green Long Beach! Festival bringing together artists, vendors, green organizations and community groups.
April 2010 - We were featured panelists for Create Long Beach discussion forum to discuss grassroots organizing.
April 2010 - Launched new community project Urban Rhythm - a community-based (GLEE-inspired) show choir for youth and young adults.
April 2010 - We became fiscal sponsors for community group One Imagination - an artists and leadership collective.
April 2010 - Pedal Movement had our Grand Opening for The HUB - a facility at Hancock University where people can learn how to maintain their bikes.
March 2010 - We started hosting monthly art shows every 2nd Saturday featuring local singer/songwriters, musicians, and spoken word artists.
March 2010 - We partnered with Raw Inspirations and are now managing and booking entertainment stage and community area for the East Village Farmers Market every Saturday morning.
February 2010 - We started hosting monthly First Sundays Brunches for people to connect with others across the Network of Communities.
February 2010 - LBCreative! spearheaded the organizing of Carnival del Corazon - an artists response to the disaster in Haiti. We mobilized over 120 local artists contributing to the event. Together we raised over $4,200 for Yele Haiti and our community contributed over $12,000 worth of in-kind time and resources.
January 2010 - We had our 2nd Catalyst Team Retreat - now known as the Huddle!
Nov thru Dec 2009 - Invested time in strategic planning for 2010.
October 2009 - Launched two new collaborative communities: Pedal Movement community and Long Beach Girls community. By year end, we connected with over 100 people.
Sept 2009 - We had our Grand Opening for the Catalyst Space.
June thru Aug 2009 - Launched two new collaborative communities: Green Long Beach! community and LBCreative! community. Each community brought their people together and formed Action Teams. By year end, we connected with over 300 people.
June 2009 - We moved in to the Catalyst Space, securing a physical location for the first time.
May 2009 - Catalyst co-hosted first annual Green Long Beach! Festival bringing together over 270 artists, performers, businesses, and organizations with only two and a half months of grassroots organizing.
March 2009 - Catalyst hosted Connections Party for over 60 people from 20 different community groups.
Jan 2009 - We had our first Catalyst Team Retreat in Idyllwild, CA.
Nov 2008 - Catalyst received 501(c)(3) non-profit status (retroactive to April 2006).
Nov 2008 - Coalition of Bridge Builders hosted an event called "Elevating the Conversation" with about 60 conservative mainstream church leaders on the topic of faith & sexuality to explore building bridges. Eric shared his personal story of reconciling faith & sexuality and was received relatively well (considering this was less than 2 weeks after Prop 8 passed). Later this evening, the Coalition hosted a dinner gathering with gay & lesbian inclusive church leaders.
October 2008 - Coalition of Bridge Builders hosted a Round Table luncheon with gay & lesbian pastors of inclusive churches on the topic of faith & sexuality to explore building bridges.
September 2008 - Coalition of Bridge Builders hosted a Q&A event with conservative mainstream church leaders on the topic of faith & sexuality to explore building bridges.
April 2008 thru Feb 2009 - Catalyst was a founding member in the Coalition of Bridge Builders that began a process of bridging relationships with church leaders on both sides of the divisive issue of faith & sexuality.
Jan thru Dec 2008 - Catalyst invested in organizational and Board development.
March thru Dec 2007 - We helped catalyze a sense of community with about 100 gay, lesbian, and straight people through beach bonfires, dinner gatherings, shared stories nights, and other events.
March 2007 - We organized 97 volunteers from 7 different community groups to assemble Easter baskets for under-served kids (in partnership with Justin Rudd).
May thru Dec 2006 - We started bringing people together through connection events and volunteer projects.
April 2006 - Catalyst Community was incorporated (as Catalyst Long Beach).
The Catalyst Network of Communities (aka Catalyst Long Beach, Inc.) is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.