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    Cat Jackson

    ENTREPRENEUR. AUTHOR. SPEAKER.
    ADVOCATE FOR UNDERDOGS.

     

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    About Cat Jackson

    As the first female wrestler on her high school boys’ team, Cat owns the school record for getting pinned the most and fastest. Her bruises and losses prepared her to come alongside others who need to be “scraped off the mat,” shined up, and put back in the fight.

     

    Cat’s underdog spirit led her to launch three groundbreaking organizations: Hustle 2.0, Defy Ventures, and Prison Entrepreneurship Program. In 16 years, 8,500 incarcerated people have graduated from her programs. Her efforts have led 7,000 executives, entrepreneurs, and investors to volunteer as mentors and employers. The programs reduce violence and have produced industry-leading recidivism rates of less than 8%.

     

    Cat was named a #MakeTechHuman Agent of Change by WIRED and Nokia for being one of “17 Global Influencers Expanding Human Possibility Through Technology.” She has received the MDC Partners Humanitarian Award on behalf of Defy Ventures and was included in Forbes’ 40 Women to Watch over 40. She was also named by Fast Company as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business and received an Ashoka Fellowship.

     

    Seth Godin published Cat's best-selling book A Second Chance: For You, For Me, and for the Rest of Us, a powerful reflection on the struggles and triumphs of her journey, and on her graduates’ journeys.

  • Speaking

    Cat regularly gives keynote speeches at conferences, churches, corporations, and universities. In addition to her passion for second chances, Cat can speak about rebooting after failure, finding your purpose, and building empathy-driven communities.

  • Testimonials

    From people who have hired Cat

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    JJ Virgin

    Keynote Speaker and Founder, Mindshare Summit

    "Cat's keynote and exercise The Line was one of the top 10 most important experiences of my life."

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    Jayson Gaignard

    Founder, MasterMind Talks

    "I've discovered over the years that people go to events for content, but what gets them coming back year over year is community. Fostering community is a big focus for us at MMT every year, and although we've made great strides on our own, having Cat facilitate The Line activity fundamentally brought the group's cohesion to the next level. So much so that as a result, we had 77% of our audience sign up for our next live event a year in advance."

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    Leigh Tucker

    Founder/CEO, HITCHHIKE

    “It’s true that the first hour is the rudder of the day. For me, going through Cat’s exercise of love bombs first thing in the morning completely changes the trajectory of my day. It’s the most effective tool I use to create my best days.”

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    Lauren Shippy

    Palm Beach Women's Network

    "Cat's exercise The Line broke down walls, barriers, and stereotypes we didn't even know existed, and encouraged the women at Palm Beach Women's Network to connect on a deeper level than ever before. The women left the event feeling closer to each other, accepted, and a new level of freedom from experiencing the power of forgiveness. I can't recommend Cat enough to any group seeking to provide a truly impactful, groundbreaking experience to their community."

  • To contact Cat, please email cat@cathoke.com or use the form below.