The Social Impact Strategist: Catherine Almonte
“The cultural sector, akin to 18th-century institutions thrust into the complexities of the 21st century, must grapple with the reality that our conventional modes of operation are neither sustainable nor acceptable in the contemporary landscape.”
5 QUESTIONS WITH CATHERINE ALMONTE
VP, GLOBAL HEAD OF EQUITY & IMPACT, SOTHEBY’S
NEW YORK, NY
Catherine Almonte works at the intersection of art, equity, and community with extensive cross-industry experience spanning fine art, government, and nonprofit organizations. As the current Global Head of Equity and Impact at Sotheby’s, Cat leads the organization's social impact efforts, steering a comprehensive endeavor to foster a more diverse and inclusive arts industry. A seasoned social impact strategist, disruptor, and organizer with over a decade of experience, Cat brings together the greater arts community to take on some of the world’s greatest challenges.
Cat has spent most of her career guiding organizations through periods of complex and systematic transformation. From Managing Director of The Broad Room, where she provided training for women on topics related to government and politics, to Deputy Director for Communications at NYC Census 2020, a role that contributed to New York City achieving its strongest-ever results for historically undercounted communities, to leading government and community relations at the Brooklyn Museum - Cat has worked diligently to build bridges between institutions and the communities they are meant to serve.
Rooted in her origins in the Dominican Republic and upbringing in New York, her journey is a testament to the transformative power of art when coupled with a commitment to fostering inclusivity and driving positive change for society.
1. You've said that “social impact and DEAI go hand in hand: solving the equity and inclusion issues is the most important part of the arts". Could you please expand on this…
Social Impact for any organization should transcend the pursuit of profit or prestige. It demands that we identify the ways in which we might be causing harm and profoundly reevaluate our role in society. I would argue that the greatest pain point of art institutions, historically steeped in exclusivity and elitism, is inequity. Centuries of ingrained culture and norms cannot be dismantled without deliberate effort. While climate change and other issues should also be crucial components of our social impact agendas, they pale in significance if we fail to address the glaring disparities in representation and access within our workforce and audiences.
Consider the lack of viable pathways for individuals from historically excluded communities to thrive in the arts. It's a systemic issue that must be addressed first and foremost before we can take on larger societal needs. It’s a fundamental necessity for the evolution and relevance of our institutions. The arts, to truly embody the spirit of social impact, must acknowledge that diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not optional add-ons but foundational pillars of our existence.
2. How can organizations and foundations most effectively create and efficiently build up social impact efforts, and how can we best hold these organizations to external accountability (with regards to social impact)?
First, spend more time identifying the problem than you do coming up with solutions. Second, don’t pretend to know what a community needs. Ask them directly. Effective social impact efforts require a nuanced approach that prioritizes understanding and collaboration. A commitment to continuous evaluation and adaptation is also essential. Initiatives should start on a manageable scale, allowing for agility and responsiveness to feedback. As successes are achieved, efforts should be scaled up, expanding impact and addressing more significant challenges over time.
But we can’t take it too slow. History has shown that external pressure can often accelerate change. You should always ask questions of the companies you spend your time and money with. Be willing to walk away if you aren’t satisfied with their efforts. Whether through viral criticism, stakeholder demands, or public scrutiny, external voices play an important role in holding organizations accountable for their social impact efforts. When profit or prestige is on the line, leaders listen.
3. You've said: “The pervasive issue of insufficient diversity within our industry requires us to adopt more radical measures for transformation." What are those radical measures?
The challenge of “insufficient diversity” in the talent pool is a contrived one. The problem isn’t scarcity, it’s elitist expectations that provide unfair advantages to the affluent and privileged.
Take for example my experience in 2018 when just two months into my role as the Director of Government and Community Relations at the Brooklyn Museum, a seismic crisis unfolded. Overnight, the announcement of a White Woman as the African Art Curator triggered a wave of criticism that seemed to transcend the confines of the art world. As I headed into the Museum that morning, I found myself asking the same questions echoing in our community: Why not a Black person for this role? What led to this decision? The reality, as I discovered, was complex.
The Museum had conducted a thorough search, yet the position was part-time and funded by a specific donor with stringent criteria, including the requirement of a Ph.D. In a field where as a little as two individuals annually might graduate with a Ph.D. in African Art, the pool of available talent was inherently limited. Moreover, if any of these graduates were Black, they were highly sought after by prestigious institutions offering more substantial compensation than we could afford at the time. While the donor's generosity was appreciated, their donation inadvertently perpetuated systemic racism within our industry, triggering a chain reaction of decisions. As donors, we must exercise greater consideration regarding the criteria we impose, while arts institutions bear the responsibility of educating donors about the ramifications of their demands.
Setting a compensation floor for entry-level positions allowing young people to live with dignity, embracing non-traditional talent in our hiring practices and then investing time and resources to ensure they are set up to succeed, are just a few examples of critical changes that would go a long way.
4. How might the cultural sector model solutions from other sectors?
I greatly admire Sephora's Fifteen Percent Pledge, a remarkable social impact initiative that underscores their commitment to diversity and inclusion. By pledging to allocate 15% of their shelf space to products from Black-owned brands, Sephora addressed a deep and rooted harm the beauty industry faced. What sets this initiative apart is their holistic approach; they didn't stop at mere product placement. Instead, they took proactive steps to enhance opportunities and visibility for Black-owned brands, catalyzing the growth of the next generation of Black beauty entrepreneurs and fostering innovation within the industry. Notably, their accelerator program provides crucial funding and support to Black beauty entrepreneurs, empowering them to scale their ventures. Sephora's dedication to addressing the core issues, rather than settling for superficial solutions, is truly commendable and serves as a model for meaningful social impact.
5. What do you see as the biggest implications of the ongoing generational shift in 1. talent, and 2. the unprecedented wealth transfer?
As we witness a profound generational transition, particularly with the rise of Gen Z, it becomes increasingly evident that younger cohorts espouse markedly progressive values. By 2025, 75% of the workforce will be millennials. Recent research has shown 92% of young people say a brand should be involved in supporting, or promoting a social issue or cause. And 71% buy from brands specifically because they are doing so.
The cultural sector, akin to 18th-century institutions thrust into the complexities of the 21st century, faces an urgent imperative to adapt. Much like libraries, universities, and newspapers before us, we must grapple with the reality that our conventional modes of operation are neither sustainable nor acceptable in the contemporary landscape.
My underlying hypothesis being that organizations proactively investing in cultivating a purpose-driven culture, reflective of global demographics, stand a better chance of not only surviving but thriving in the face of these shifts. It’ll make all the difference in who attracts top-tier donations, clients, audiences, and talent.
The Path Forward interview series, an initiative of MCW Projects LLC, investigates how industry leaders are re-envisioning the future.