Catherine Curry-Williams shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Catherine, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is a normal day like for you right now?
What is a normal day for me?
Well, “normal” is a stretch; let’s call it purposefully unpredictable with a side of jam. I wake up at 5 AM, do a gratitude meditation, and listen to a podcast. Coffee is nonnegotiable. If I’m feeling extra saintly, I’ll jump on the vibration plate and pretend it counts as cardio.
By sunrise, my brain’s already spinning: How do I raise more awareness about the massive funding gap for women and girls? I’ll skim Philanthropy Today, skip the social media scroll, and maybe hop on Zoom with fellow She Angels Foundation friends to stir up some world-bettering brainstorms. Around breakfast, you’ll find me with sourdough toast and jam.
Midafternoon? It’s nap o’clock. I call it “Napitation,” a quick meditation that hopefully turns into a 20-minute mental reboot. Then I’m back online, doing some research or calling friends and family – yes, actually calling them. Community fuels me in ways nothing else can—it reminds me I’m never doing this work alone. By 4, I reach for a good novel to escape my overthinking brain, and when my head hits the pillow at about 10 pm, I know I’ve squeezed purpose, gratitude, and a whole lot of heart into the day.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m on a mission to flip the script on philanthropy.
I’m a speaker, author, activist, and co-founder of She Angels Foundation, we are a volunteer-based organization that raises funds through collective giving. We’re creating a global community of women who support and fund grassroots, women-founded nonprofits that provide mentorship and resources to women’s and girls’ causes. Because less than 2% of all U.S. charitable giving goes to women and girls, and we’re here to change that. In just five short years since our inception, we have awarded 65 grants, totaling $350,000. I am also the founder of Shane’s Inspiration, an international nonprofit that builds inclusive playgrounds around the world, inspired by my son Shane, whose legacy continues to change lives every day.
I recently gave a TEDx Talk called “From Pain to Purpose,” which delves into that journey and how my grief sparked a global impact. I speak often at women’s leadership groups, corporate ERGs, and giving circles, encouraging women to step into their power as philanthropists and changemakers, even if they only have $1.40 a day to give. (Yes, that’s a real number and the foundation of my bestselling book, Philanthropy on a Shoestring.)
Right now, I’m working on a new book about how to live boldly and get sh*t done in your third act because trust me, I’m not winding down, I’m just getting started. Everything I do is about building community, taking action, and creating a world where women have the funding, the support, and the spotlight they deserve.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The moment that really shaped how I see the world is:
When I was about 27, I was working as an actress and running a small New Age record company with my boyfriend, who would soon become my husband. On the surface, it all seemed great, even a little glamorous. But deep down, I was restless. I kept thinking, There’s gotta be more.
Then one day, someone handed me a copy of The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler. The book was fascinating, but one part in particular hit me like a lightning bolt: the idea that while patriarchy has written most of our history, archaeological digs suggest that ancient societies actually revered women. In many cases, women were the leaders. That cracked something open in me.
It didn’t all change overnight, but that book planted a seed. I began exploring the stories of women, engineers, inventors, and leaders whose contributions had been erased or overlooked. That woke up something fierce in me: a desire to lead, connect, and support women in a much bigger way.
Now, more than 30 years later, that seed has grown into something real. Through She Angels Foundation, I’m building a global community of women funding other women, amplifying voices, and making sure we write the next chapter of history.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear that has held me back the most in my life is
Doubt. But I didn’t realize that was the thing holding me back until not that long ago.
I’ve always been a good decision-maker. I didn’t go around polling people for their opinions. I trusted my gut more than most. But deep down, there was still this lingering question: Who do you think you are? That quiet, sneaky kind of doubt, the kind that doesn’t stop you from doing the thing, but keeps you from fully acknowledging yourself while you’re doing it.
At some point, I had to stop and look back: Where did that voice come from? Who handed me that fear? And more importantly, why did I carry it for so long?
That reflection helped me reframe everything. Now, when doubt shows up, I meet it with compassion, but I don’t let it lead. I remind myself daily that trusting my gut isn’t just my strength, it’s my path forward. Doubt still whispers sometimes, but these days, I listen to my own voice louder.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
The belief I once held tightly but now think was naive or wrong.
Whew. Where do I start?
I used to believe the people in charge, you know, the ones governing our country, had it somewhat together. That they were smarter, more strategic, and definitely more ethical than I was, I assumed things like, “You can’t be a convicted felon and run for president,” were just… obvious.
I believed that big donors, especially those with foundations and charitable arms, would naturally want their money to go where it could have the biggest impact. Like, grassroots orgs led by women and serving women and girls are out here stretching every dollar like it’s made of gold thread. But year after year, we still see pennies on the dollar flowing to those spaces. That broke my heart a little.
I believed democracy was protected. That women’s rights, especially the right to make decisions about our own bodies, were settled law. I believed we were evolving forward, not spinning in reverse.
Oh, I thought raising a child wouldn’t be that hard. Ok, I hear you all laughing.
But I don’t regret those beliefs. They were rooted in hope, in a trust that the world was working better than it actually was. What I’ve done since is trade in naivety for clarity, and clarity has made me louder, braver, and more action-oriented.
Now, I don’t assume the system will fix itself. I show up. I build. I fund. I speak.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
The thing I understand deeply that most people may not is.
Grief.
Not just the kind that breaks you but the kind that transforms you. The kind that rearranges your soul and shows you truths you never asked to learn.
When I lost my infant son Shane, I was cracked wide open. There’s no manual for that kind of loss. But what I came to understand deeply is that grief can be a portal. Not to forget, but to become.
There’s a line in Helen Reddy’s I Am Woman that says, “Yes, I’ve paid the price, but look how much I gained.” That lyric lives in my bones. Because through the pain, I gained wisdom I never would’ve known otherwise. It was, as she said, “wisdom born of pain.”
My grief pointed me toward injustices toward the inequities faced by children with disabilities, and later, by women and girls who are so often underfunded and underestimated. And when I turned my focus outward toward others, it gave me a reason to keep going. It gave me purpose.
What I understand deeply is this: grief and purpose can coexist. And sometimes, the most profound impact we make in the world comes after the thing that nearly destroyed us. That doesn’t make it easier. But it makes it mean something.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://catherinecurrywilliams.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catcurrywilliams/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinecurrywilliams/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catcurrywilliams/
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