Session with Catherine Lee

Session Description

A multidisciplinary disrupter, Catherine has been a globally award-winning film director, Venture Capital backed founder-CEO, and World Bank & UN impact specialist with experience in 19 countries. Above all, she identifies as a storyteller and thought leader, out to influence our psychologies for a less violent, more mindful humanity. She was named a “40 Under 40" documentary filmmaker by HBO and is currently directing an Oscar-nominated team about an imprisoned democracy activist in East Africa. She has been invited to lecture/speak at festivals, museums, and schools in America, Europe, Asia, and Africa to speak about her work. Catherine also co-founded and was the first CEO of Uncover, a startup accelerator born women's self-care brand in Kenya, now expanding to Uganda and Nigeria. Catherine commenced her career as a development economist, working for over a decade with the World Bank, UN, Clinton Foundation, and Nobel Prize-winning economists at the MIT Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). Primarily as an M&E expert responsible for impact accountability, she worked across the sectors of women's and girls' empowerment, livelihoods, health, water, agriculture, conflict/disaster resilience, and government reforms. While she has advised Ministers and Presidents, Catherine most enjoyed running in-field focus groups of women and girls. Ask Catherine about (1) Storytelling (not only to others but yourself!), forming a narrative or a pitch (read: building and shedding identities); (2) Jumping between nonprofit, for-profit, entrepreneurship, independent freelancing etc; and (3) Managing constant geographical change and staying sane.