About Us

A young woman dressed in a black blazer and white top standing outdoors on a sunny day, with a school or campus building, trees, and a lawn in the background.

Meet the Founder & Editor
Hello, my name is Janis Kim, a junior at Oxford Academy, and I am the Founder and Editor of Catalyst. I’m passionate about business, service, and leadership, and I am interested in finding ways to create meaningful change within my community. As a student and aspiring leader, I hope to continue challenging myself, learning from new experiences, and using my interests to make a positive impact.

Why I started Catalyst?
Catalyst started from wanting to look beyond the picture perfect frame. I've always been interested in the people behind successful ideas. I wanted the full story—what motivates them, how they make decisions, and what lessons they've learned along the way. I wanted to create a space where young students could be directly inspired by hearing from people who've built careers, companies, and communities. Through Catalyst, I interview successful leaders across all fields and turn those conversations into lessons that help someone trying to start their own journey.

Why "Catalyst"?
A catalyst is something that creates change. That's the whole idea behind this publication: explore the people and ideas that are creating change, and encourage the next generation to become catalysts themselves.