About | Catalyst Impact Studio

We kept arriving at the same diagnosis.

Andrew built a long career across software engineering, startups, venture capital, and nonprofits, including 14 years leading agile teams. Eric spent over 20 years leading strategy and operations work across nonprofits, higher education, and the corporate sector.

After years of crossing paths in the social impact space, we kept seeing the same thing: talented, motivated teams doing important work, often without a shared system for working together. Capable people pulling in slightly different directions, not for lack of effort, but for lack of a common rhythm and language.

That felt worth fixing. So we built Catalyst Impact Studio.

Today we work as consultants and coaches to nonprofits, small businesses, and entrepreneurs, in Chicago and nationwide, to build the practical operating systems that help teams do their best work in an ever-changing world.

Andrew Don

Co-Founder

Andrew is a certified Scrum practitioner who built his career at the intersection of technology, agile systems, and social impact. Over a long career that includes 14 years leading agile teams, he developed a sharp eye for why capable teams stall and what it takes to help them make real progress. He translates the best of agile methodology into practices that work for mission-driven organizations: practical, lightweight, and built for real conditions rather than ideal ones.

Outside of work, he lives in Chicago with his wife and two daughters and loves exploring the city with them. He also loves getting outdoors, especially camping and hiking. Lately, though, volleyball has taken over: he's a self-described girl dad who watches his daughters play, coaches them, and still gets on the court or beach himself.

Eric Wu

Co-Founder

Eric's career spans nonprofits, higher education, consumer packaged goods, and financial services, and he has stayed deeply involved in the nonprofit and philanthropic community throughout. He brings expertise in organizational development and change management, enterprise strategic planning, and process and operations improvement. He approaches every engagement with a systems thinker's clarity and an operator's pragmatism. He connects dots other people miss, translates complexity into action, and keeps teams grounded in what actually matters.

Outside of work, he lives in Chicago with his wife and son, where they love eating their way around the city. He's a lifelong learner who takes what he learns and applies it, and if you talk with him, you might hear how improv, community philanthropy, and marathon training have each shaped how he works and lives.

What we believe

Nonprofits and small businesses are some of the hardest working, most resourceful teams anywhere. They're passionate, capable, and making a real difference in their communities. These are the organizations that deserve our support the most.

We believe nothing matters more to an organization than an aligned team, one with the clarity to focus on what matters and the agility to adapt in a world that keeps changing. A team like that can work through any challenge and make the most of every opportunity. Building it starts with a shared system and a common language that helps everyone pull in the same direction.

What you can expect from us.

We explain the why behind every recommendation, not just the what.
We are direct about fit. If we are not the right move for your organization, we will say so.
We teach your team to run the system without us.
We measure success by what your team can do on its own when we are done.
We measure what actually changes, and we report it honestly. We would rather share a defensible finding than an overstated one.
Our programs are grounded in research on how lasting change happens. People don't change in isolation, and they don't change all at once, so we build in peer community and ongoing support.

Why Catalyst Impact Studio?

Catalyst: because we accelerate without taking over.

Impact: because we care about what actually changes, not just the quality of the engagement.

Studio: because the best work happens in a space built for experimentation, iteration, and getting it wrong before you get it right.

Want to know if we're the right fit?

We'll tell you honestly. Book a free 30-minute call, and let's talk about where your team is and what would actually help.

Let's Find Out