Dr. Pamela Donnelly has spent her career opening doors—first as a teacher and education entrepreneur, and now as the founder of the American Access Institute. In this episode, she shares the story behind Catapult, an AI-powered career readiness platform designed to equip vulnerable youth, including those in foster care, with the skills and pathways to thrive in trades, tech, military, and entrepreneurship.

Host Michele Kawamoto Perry and Pamela explore how policy, public discourse, and technology intersect in the fight for equity, why scalable innovation matters, and what it takes to lead a vision from concept to national impact. Along the way, Pamela reflects on the leadership lessons she’s learned—both from the systems she’s challenged and the students she’s championed.

If you care about access, opportunity, and leading change that lasts, this conversation will inspire you to think bigger about what’s possible.

Learn more about Dr. Pamela Donnelly at www.pameladonnelly.com and the American Access Institute at https://americanaccessinstitute.org/.

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Discover more about host Michele Kawamoto Perry and The Forward Project’s expertise in culture transformation and leadership development at www.theforwardproject.co.