Founding Catalyzer, Prosperity Catalyst
Two years ago, in my work as founder of Honeybee Capital, I was trying to describe investing that is truly connected to the world, to the people, to the products and entities that provide meaning and value to our communities. The language I needed was elusive. I examined terms used in the various “integrated health” indices for economies, but Gross National Happiness, while a great broadening from Gross National Product, did not quite hit the mark. Sustainability is also a wonderful term, but I was aiming to describe something even more than that. A type of investing that is regenerative and renewing, thoughtful and full of (dare I say it?) joy.
Prosperity - that’s what we were looking for!
This is a term with both depth and breadth. Prosperity is defined as “to thrive or succeed in a healthy way”. That little word “healthy” is so important - it nods to a more complete view of success, one that includes physical, mental, emotional, and economic well-being; one that extends beyond the individual to include whole families and whole communities. Another layer of meaning is found in the root words – Latin terms for “hope” and “fortune” are quite literally the roots of prosperity. So Prosperity is success, yes – but it’s healthy success, broad-based and full of hope.
It was right around this time that I met Prosperity Catalyst, the nonprofit, and Prosperity Candle, the sister enterprise that serves as the product marketing specialist. Siiri Morley, the Executive Director of Prosperity Catalyst, had presented to the Pipeline Fellowship, a women’s angel investor training network, where I was a member. So right from the start, we were united by the idea of women helping other women. No, much more than that – women investing in other women, and in their prosperity.
Prosperity Catalyst does not come by its name lightly – it earns that name every day, in the work of all who are connected with the group. The organization trains women to run their own businesses, and most importantly, this is not an isolated process, not training for training’s sake. Prosperity Candle, the sister organization, provides the direct link to the market for Prosperity Catalyst’s women’s creations, ensuring that all of that training and production is actually useful and use-able. With this model, Prosperity links locally-focused training and business leadership to broader global markets. Plus, the candles are beautiful! Along the way, Siiri and her team helped me to plan the first-ever corporate gift for Honeybee Capital, a beautiful beeswax candle.
The light from those candles is lovely, steady and clear – but it is nothing compared to another sort of light I see coming from Prosperity Catalyst. The most important element I have come to appreciate in this organization is a subtle one: it’s how their program and the people involved are modeling leadership in a powerful and different way. Siiri and the entire Prosperity Catalyst team demonstrate leadership that is bold and attention-grabbing – while also service-oriented and nuanced. They are effective and efficient - and still deeply human. They are determined and devoted – while embracing flexibility and creativity. This is the kind of leadership I want to see in the world.
For all of these reasons, I am delighted to be able to support Prosperity Catalyst. I hope you will join me. Click here to learn more about Prosperity Catalyst’s work in Haiti and join us in catalyzing change for women.
Katherine Collins is the founder and CEO of Honeybee Capital, author of the upcoming book, The Nature of Investing, and a proud Founding Catalyzer for Prosperity Catalyst. See more about Katherine’s work at www.honeybeecapital.com or on Twitter @honeybeecap.
