Member Spotlight: Cathy Barragan
What is your industry or area of expertise?
Design, communications, and marketing.
Why do you believe in the mission of BlackFemaleProject?
Everyone should be dedicated to uplifting the voices of Black women and providing a space where they can be heard and seen. The world is a better place for it.
What brought you to BlackFemaleProject?
I mean, Precious, obviously. I had worked with her for several years, and she was my entry point to BlackFemaleProject. And I’ve stayed through the years because I’ve seen the transformation of so many women coming through this space. It’s a great journey for so many, myself included.
How has BlackFemaleProject impacted you personally?
Just being in the company of so many phenomenal women who prioritize making space to just be there for each other and bring tools to the table for women. I’ve been immersed in that when I wouldn’t have been otherwise.
What motivated you to become an advisor to BlackFemaleProject?
I love the team, I love the work, and I love any chance to put my skill set to use out in the world for good. I do come in with a little hesitation because I want Black women to feel fully comfortable in this space and support them in that. I want to be in service without taking up any air in the room.
What BlackFemaleProject content or offering have you found most resonant?
There’s so much! The podcasts—some of them are so intimate. You listen, and you get so much from them.
Even with Teacher Truth, the way that the team set up the space for the teachers and brought them in and listened deeply. They all across the board felt so appreciated. And these were teachers who don’t always receive that kind of care. There was something so lovely about it; we need more of it.
Bio:
Cathy Barragan has 15+ years of experience developing and executing strategic marketing plans for non-profit organizations. She has successfully led rebranding efforts for organizations, including the Oakland Schools Foundation (now the Oakland Public Education Fund) and the Children's Creativity Museum (formerly Zeum).
Her commitment to community, education, and the arts has taken her abroad where she has helped to develop artists' residences in Mammola, Italy, and provided direct support in the classroom of an orphanage in Morelia, Mexico.
Cathy has garnered press coverage in the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, The Today Show and Wired Magazine.
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