A Letter to the Catapult Community
Dear community,
Greetings from Catapult Design! Our organization is entering an exciting new chapter, and we wanted to take a moment to share some updates, introduce our new leadership, and reflect on our vision and aspirations for the future.
I'm Pamela Silva Díaz, and I'm honored and excited to join Catapult Design as its new Executive Director. I'm grateful for the strong foundation that Angela Hariche and Heather Fleming have established over the years, and I look forward to working alongside our team and community as we lead Catapult into its next chapter.
Catapult is an organization I've long admired throughout my career. Throughout my own journey, I've worked alongside community groups across the globe, using locally led innovation to address community needs, support livelihoods, and strengthen climate resilience and environmental sustainability.
As we work together to shape this new chapter, we are asking ourselves an important question:
What is the role of design — and particularly community-led design — in this era?
We find ourselves at a time of profound social, environmental, and technological change. As communities navigate increasingly complex challenges, we believe design has an important role to play in imagining new possibilities, strengthening local capacities, and creating solutions that are grounded in people's lived experiences, needs, and aspirations.
As we explore this question and reflect on the critical challenges of our time, we're excited to deepen our community-centered innovation work in three strategic areas:
Accessible, Human-centered Healthcare
Dignified Aging and Intergenerational Care
Climate Adaptation and Resilience
We're also looking forward to strengthening Catapult's existing global relationships while expanding our presence in Latin America and the Caribbean, building on the knowledge, creativity, and innovation already thriving across the region.
While this marks a new chapter for Catapult, our mission remains the same: to improve the quality of life of underserved communities through innovative and accessible design.
We are excited to continue learning from and collaborating with the communities, partners, designers, and changemakers who have shaped Catapult's journey over the years. We believe that meaningful and lasting change happens through collaboration, and we look forward to exploring new ways to put design into action for people and the planet.
I'm excited about what's ahead and grateful for the opportunity to build on Catapult's legacy, while continuing to advance design as a powerful tool for social and environmental change.
Thank you for being part of the Catapult community and for being part of this next chapter!
Warmly,
Pamela Silva Díaz
Executive Director | Catapult Design
