Credit: Cathryn L. Dhanatya
Cathryn L. Dhanatya, Ph.D., co-founder of Growing Good Inc, a professional services firm specializing in the nonprofit and startup sectors, has been recognized as one of the “Top 10 Trailblazing Entrepreneurs” by LA Weekly.
The accolade says that Dhanatya is “a highly skilled strategist with a proven track record of success in the nonprofit sector,” and it recognizes her dedication to making a positive impact in the world by providing effective solutions through Growing Good Inc that disrupt the status quo and result in more effective actions by philanthropic organizations.
The other members of the Top 10 come from a diverse range of fields, including law, human resources, real estate, and wellness.
“I am honored to be included among LA’s top 10 trailblazers by LA Weekly, which recognizes the impact Growing Good Inc has had on the nonprofit sector, despite being founded just three years ago. I believe our organization’s accolades are only as good as how much positive impact we have in the world. While titles or awards are always wonderful to receive, I’ve never been personally attached to them. For me, the joy of being recognized comes from amplifying the work that we do at Growing Good Inc, which is the main reason why we entered this line of business,” Dhanatya says.
Before starting Growing Good Inc in 2020, Dhanatya was chief scientific and administrative officer at the cancer research arm of a leading entertainment industry nonprofit. She has extensive experience in the academe, at the time becoming the youngest assistant dean at the University of Southern California. She holds a Ph.D. in Social Science and Comparative Education from UCLA.
Aside from teaching in the Ph.D. program, Dhanatya also implemented many interesting private and public partnerships, including a project with a global toy company to teach science to children using a popular brand of toy cars. Her research and work has brought her to five continents, and she has engaged with entities in both developed and developing nations across a wide variety of topics, including cancer research, education, climate change, HIV/AIDS, and women’s rights.
“I consider myself a pragmatic optimist, and I believe that you can change the world to make it better while also recognizing how difficult it is to get there sometimes. We help nonprofits and start ups set up their businesses properly and act as a strategic advisor to build internal capacity for sustainable and successful operations and fundraising strategies moving forward. As global social problems and financial systems become increasingly complex and interconnected, nonprofits need to become better at tackling these issues at scale. We at Growing Good Inc work in partnership with these organizations to develop innovative and multidisciplinary solutions, to amplify the impact of the work these organizations do in the real world,” she says.
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