Our Mission

To be a catalyst for social change in communities around the world

A group of people sit around a table, smiling.

In the emerging economy, relationships and trust are the new currency.

With the rapid emergence and adoption of AI, the exchange of information for money is going to fade from our daily life.
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That means a focus on relationships, trust, and connection is more important than ever for economic and business development.

We know that the best technologies don’t replace human work, but equip us to focus on the important work that only humans can do.

Launched in 2018, Economic Impact Catalyst now provides over 100 organizations around the country with the software and service they need to do what they do best—design impactful programs and build lasting relationships within their local communities.  

Innovators Who Care

Meet our team

David Ponraj

Chief Executive Officer

McKenzie Dial-Fritscher

Chief Operating Officer

Molly King

VP, Client Experience

Denise Woltjen

Executive Assistant

Nehalkumar Patel

Engineering Lead

Carly Kendrick Thaller

Sr. Director, Economic Development

Elle Cruzabra

Chief of Staff

David Kraus

Product Manager

Etunyi Ashime

AWS Cloud Engineer

Isha Comia

Client Solutions Advisor

Athena Rodriguez

Client Solutions Advisor

Ready to get started?

To grow your business community, there's no place like Startup Space.

Learn more about our work

Whether you’re a reader, a listener, or a researcher, we’ve got plenty to explore.

Keep up with the latest

We post weekly blogs about topics we feel will benefit our community, we take pride in spreading knowledge in technology and economic development.

Follow along with us

In our podcast, Breaking Down Barriers, we discuss the pressing issues at the intersection of entrepreneurship, technology, and social change.

Dive into the issues

Our white papers are a great opportunity to learn about the challenges facing communities around the world—and how we're overcoming them together.