You can feel the passion emanating from Tammy Thompson, even down to her description of why green is her favorite color. For Tammy, green represents growth and healthy ecosystems, which is what she aims to bring into the world with her work.
Tammy starts by sharing her fascinating attraction to frogs, which started when was a little girl. As Tammy became older, she studied frogs to learn more about why she was so drawn to them. Tammy found that in cultures that revere frogs, they represent peace, health and wellness—as they can only survive in thriving environments and ecosystems. Because of her background where these principles weren’t very present, the frog became a powerful symbol for Tammy, even making its way into the Catapult Greater Pittsburgh logo.
Her first interaction in the non-profit space was in 2008-2009 during the mortgage foreclosure crisis, working with families at risk of losing their homes. She felt the work was too heavy for her as an empath, and wanted to move into the “happy side” of home ownership—focusing on financial education.
Tammy found the financial education curriculum wasn’t resonating with black families within her next role. She started organically sharing her own story of poverty, which alleviated the shame and guilt that often underpins the relationship with money in this community. Her long term, unique approach to working with clients, eventually meant the end of her time within this position, but ultimately led to her tenure at Circles of Greater Pittsburgh.
The turning point for Tammy was the release of the Gender Equity Commission Report in 2019, which essentially revealed that black women would be economically better off anywhere in the country, other than Pittsburgh. From then, Tammy decided to be unapologetic about focusing on black families in the city, leading to her separation from Circles, becoming Catapult Greater Pittsburgh in January of 2021 🐸.
Not even two questions in, and I’m sure you can sense the power of Tammy and the work she’s doing.
Stay tuned for Part 2!
Business Spotlight – Tammy Thompson Part One
June 16, 2024