Catherine K Mongella
Catherine K. Mongella
Catherine K. Mongella is an author, leader, and visionary in the NGO sector with over 10 years of experience in organizational development, capacity building, and solution-focused approaches.
As the Executive Director of Earth Guardians—an organization whose mission is to train and empower youth to be effective leaders in the climate and social justice movements, through the power of art, music, storytelling, civic engagement, and legal action—Catherine works to inspire and support impactful solutions to the critical issues we face as a global community. She is the first African woman under 40 to lead the organization and is dedicated to expanding the organization’s impact in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
As a speaker, Catherine is passionate about changing the narratives around female leadership while also elevating the voices of youth in the pursuit of positive and sustainable change. Based on her expertise in these areas, she has given career talks for young female students at universities across Tanzania, encouraging them to dream and strive for excellence in every aspect of their lives. Catherine has been interviewed by many local news networks in her home country of Tanzania, and her work has been featured internationally by organizations such as Amos Trust (view more here or read more here). She also recently served as a keynote speaker during the Tanzania Civil Society Organizations Week.
In 2020, she contributed a chapter to COVID Stories from East Africa and Beyond, telling the story of her successful strategies for running an organization with 52 staff members serving over 300 children and youth in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Topics Catherine is passionate about and available to speak on include:
Changing the narratives around female leadership
Reaching goals without compromising your values
Sustainable growth in an organization—how and when to grow to meet your organization’s strategic goals
Solution-focused approaches to leadership—how focusing on solutions can increase impact and improve team relations
Building strategic partnerships—how to start the conversation with potential organizational partners and how to stay focused on big-picture goals
Environmental conservation in developing nations—how and when to get started