Valley Leadership announced its largest leadership cohort to date, with 150 Arizonans selected for Catalyze Class 5. This milestone year for the program reflects Valley Leadership’s commitment to expanding access to leadership development opportunities for individuals across the state who are ready to take action on Arizona’s most pressing issues.
Now entering its fifth year, Catalyze equips emerging and established leaders with the skills, knowledge, and connections to make a lasting impact in their communities. The six-month program is designed to help participants deepen their understanding of key statewide challenges while building the network and tools needed to lead effectively from any position.
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“Catalyze is more than a leadership program, it’s a launchpad for action,” said Carrie Larson, Program Manager for Catalyze. “This record-breaking class is ready to show up authentically, grow as leaders, and take on Arizona’s most pressing challenges. We’re building a community of leaders who don’t wait to be asked, they step up and lead.”
Valley Leadership is especially excited about the diversity of this upcoming class, including the number of high school students -as part of our partnership with Phoenix Union High School’s PXU City. Participants in the Catalyze program represent a wide range of industries, backgrounds, and lived experiences, strengthening the program’s vision of building a broad and inclusive leadership network.
Alyssa Prewitt, a Catalyze Class 4 graduate and the Director of Coalition Resources, said, “Catalyze pushed me—personally and professionally—to think bigger about how I can have a positive impact right here in Arizona. The relationships I built continue to shape my work and the community where my family is growing.
During the program, participants gain insights into the systems shaping Arizona, explore personal leadership styles, and connect with Valley Leadership’s growing ecosystem of changemakers.
Valley Leadership thanks Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation for their continued support of Catalyze and their investment in developing leaders who are building a stronger Arizona.
To learn more about Catalyze or meet the members of Class 5, visit valleyleadership.org.
Meet the Class
| Name | Organization |
| Abbey Mathew | Kids Dental Brands |
| Abril Valenzuela | Aliento |
| Adrienne Henderson-Cole | ASU Preparatory Academy |
| Alex Delgadillo | Morgan Stanley |
| Alex Feldman | Liftoff Certifications |
| Alicia Chandler | Frontdoors Media & The Red Book |
| Alyssa Crijns | Local First Arizona |
| Anaid Moreno | Tucson Unified School District |
| Andrea Clinton | Enovence |
| Andrew Simek | Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (AZ03) |
| Angelique M. Yescas | PXU CITY |
| Anuj Mathur | Wells Fargo |
| Arya Krishnamoorthy | ASU Next Generation Service Corps |
| Austin Bates | First Things First |
| Austin VanDerHeyden | Dominium |
| Bethaney Allison | Arizona Department of Education |
| Brandi Anderson | N/A |
| Brittany Moore | Greater Phoenix Chamber |
| Callie Unruh | Root + Restore Collective |
| Carmen Orozco | TNTP, Inc. |
| Caronwyn Wester | Dignity Health, a member of CommonSpirit |
| Chance Stribling | Arizona Educational Foundation (AEF) |
| Charla Carrano | LumenusWorks Consulting Firm |
| Charles Catalano | Charles Catalano Company |
| Chas Damo | N/A |
| Christi Andrews | Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community |
| Christina Hill | Geaux Getter Enterprises, LLC |
| Christopher Thompson | Welcome to America Project – AmeriCorps |
| Cindy Quintero | AllThrive365 |
| Clayton Bonaguidi | Discover Strength |
| Constance Capiotis | Digital Bridges International |
| Corbin Wright | Arizona Department of Economic Security |
| Courtney Denevi | Lexington Behavioral Health Services |
| Crystal M. Morehouse | Scottsdale Community College |
| Dahlylah N. Dye Valdez | PXU CITY |
| Dave Barnes | Probe Test Solutions Ltd (PTSL) |
| David Perez | Cresa |
| David Weide | New Freedom |
| Dr. Benjamin Roat | Roosevelt School District |
| Dr. Bridget Fitzgibbons | Modern Medicine |
| Dr. Dawn Grittmann, PharmD, CPHQ | Banner Health |
| Dr. Michelle Gross-Panico | Dignity Health |
| Dr. Stephen Neal Jr. | Dr. Stephen Neal LLC |
| Eileana Felix Gudiño | Valley of the Sun United Way |
| EJ Hughes | Child Crisis Arizona |
| Emmitt Phok | Imagine Schools |
| Erika Graves | Family and Community Engagement Specialist |
| Esmeralda | The Office of Accountability and Transparency |
| Fabiola Miranda Bedoya | Moms Clean Air Force |
| Frances Dent | Barrett, The Honors College |
| Gabriella Titolo | Ballet Arizona |
| George Nolan | New Freedom |
| Gloria Gonzalez | Nutritional Glo |
| Griffin Gosnell | Thunderbird School of Global Management (ASU Foundation) |
| Guadalupe Reynoso Jiménez | N/A |
| Hailey Shuster | Arizona State University Enterprise Partners |
| Hunter Franklin | Human Services Intern |
| Isabel Campaña | Unlimited Potential |
| Isabel Hoggatt | Arizona Food Bank Network |
| Jack Pothast | Renaissance Financial |
| Jacob Rundall | Jus Lee Counseling Group |
| Jeff Buda | Connect to Care LLC. A healthcare consultation company |
| Jenna Ghisolfo | Housing Consultants of America |
| Jennifer Farrar | Optum |
| Jennifer Johnson | Salt River Project |
| Jennifer K. Tweedy | Arizona State University, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering |
| Jennifer W. Sanchez | Public Affairs, ESG/CSR & Communications |
| Jessica Stuart | Academic Opportunity of Arizona |
| Joey Felipe | Phoenix Fire Department |
| Joseph Tanori | HonorHealth |
| Julia Karl | Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona |
| Julie Koo | Salt River Project (SRP) |
| Justine Bibb | Local First Arizona |
| Karlei Beck | Arizona State University |
| Kate Glantz | Move Over Bob |
| Kate Kucharski | Valley Leadership |
| Kate Mayeski | Maverick May Solutions |
| Kathleen Miller Liu | SpectraVerify |
| Katie Kiefer | Keen Strategies |
| Kenady Jobe | NextGen Advisors |
| Kent Jason Forde | US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) |
| Kevin Whitney Russell | Totem Concepts |
| Khamylah Y. Gonzalez Ramirez | PXU CITY |
| Khloe Martinez | State Farm Insurance |
| Kim Graham | Arizona Educational Foundation |
| Kim Heredia | Senator Mark Kelly |
| Kimberly Bailey | North Peoria Lifestyle |
| Kimberly Rife | CVS Health |
| Krashanda Cleveland | St. Vincent de Paul |
| La Monique Wade | TLM Agency |
| Lauri Valerio | Lauri Valerio Consulting |
| Leslie Harris | Citigroup |
| Lily Cole | Grand Canyon Education |
| Lisa Gialanella | SEI |
| Liz Hewat | Downtown Mesa Association |
| Logan Harold Walton | Empire Scottsdale |
| Luis Raygoza | Chicanos Por La Causa |
| Maddison Hughes | First Place AZ |
| Mareli Aguiñiga | Novle |
| Mario R. Medrano | American Express |
| Marissa Esquer Jimenez | CVS Caremark |
| Marlana Murdock | Western Wealth Communities |
| Martha Carter | Arizona State University |
| Marthajane ‘Mj’ Vincent | State of Arizona Department of Administration |
| Matt Greer | RE/MAX Alliance Group |
| Matthew Gomez | ASU School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning |
| Maya Leachman | N/A |
| Mekonnen Anebo | Sensible Living Foundation |
| Melissa Heger | U.S. Bank |
| Menghun Kaing | Consultant |
| Mia H. Fajardo | PXU CITY |
| MILDRED OMOONGEH | Resilient Health |
| Monica K Brown | Arizona Community Foundation |
| Morgan Jones | Infosys Consulting |
| Myrlin Hepworth | Phonetic Spit |
| Naomi Inegbenedion | Next Generation Service Corps. At Arizona State University |
| Nick Mansour | Mansour For Arizona |
| Niki Tapia | City of Chandler |
| Pablo Perez | The Social Television Network |
| Patti Almirez-Taglianetti | Mindfulness First |
| Paulina Martin Clelland | Phoenix Union High School District |
| Rebeca Rodriguez | The Nature Conservancy |
| Renee Ennis | Healthcare |
| Robert Baransaka | Triadvocates LLC. |
| Robert Ewing | ASU Enterprise Partners |
| Ronald Washington | Homes for Heroes |
| Samika Mendoza | Carvana |
| Samir Jafeth Chavez Izaguirre | PXU City |
| Sarah Mertz | Vista College Preparatory – Hadley |
| Sean McMahon | Arcana Strategies |
| Shannon De Atley-Johnson | CDM Media |
| Shauna Marie Trinidad | A New Leaf |
| Shawn Soumilas | First Things First |
| Shea Duryea | School Connect |
| Shelby Brown | USI |
| Silvia Solis | The Arizona Republic |
| Skye Lucking | Mesh Labs – Arizona State University |
| Stephanie Embery | ASU Prep Digital |
| Stephanie Hines | Valleywise Health |
| Susanna Eckstein | Honeywell |
| Syna Daudfar | Emergency Medicine |
| Tacey Clayton Cundy | CASA Academy |
| Tennille Peñaloza-Hagen | Center for the Future of Arizona |
| TJ Ferrer | MCCCD at Estrella Mountain |
| Toni Jean Elwell | MassageTucson.com |
| Trent Hoffman | Snell & Wilmer LLP |
| Valeria Valtierra Pacheco | PXU CITY |
| Winnie Liang | Banner Alzheimer’s Institute |
| XZEVIOUS URIBE | TikTok US Data Security Inc. |
| Zachary Lytle | Wiser Advisor Group |
About Valley Leadership
Valley Leadership gives Arizonans the tools to solve challenges together. We do that by empowering Arizonans to lead through our learning opportunities and mobilizing them to make a difference on our state’s most pressing issues through our Impact Maker. With a track record of over 45 years of strengthening Arizona leaders, we are working to provide more opportunities than ever before to engage and empower Arizonans to lead. The Impact Maker gives us a unique opportunity to partner with the community on our greatest challenges and find solutions together. Learn more at valleyleadership.org.
