Judith Martinez ’14 launched her organization’s first #CatalyzeCourage Summit, in March, for her brainchild InHerShoes. A registered 501(c)3 startup-nonprofit, InHerShoes is committed to catalyzing courage for young girls and women around the world to live lives of empowerment, exploration, and possibility. Posing the question: What would you do if you were 1% more courageous?, the organization brings together professional women with breakthrough performance who are changing the game in typically considered unconventional fields, and high school girls from modest means, and creates for them a day filled with wonder and endless possibilities at each Summit. The summit, which took place in Santa Monica, had more than 100 girls in attendance, represented five high schools in the Greater LA area, and 14 speakers.

Post-summit, InHerShoes has awarded five high school girls scholarships to become the first class of Catalyst Scholars. To become a scholar, applicants submitted a one-sentence idea to #CatalyzeCourage at their high school. Catalyst Scholar recipients receive mentorship from the InHerShoes team, as well as mentors in the field of their interest to create community projects that catalyze courage for their local community.