The 26-year-old is currently the director of partnerships and programs for „Force Of Nature“, a youth nonprofit program for mobilizing mindsets in the fight against the climate crisis. Right now they live in Lisbon, but Kat has visited more than 44 countries in her young lifespan and is not thinking about stopping anytime soon.

While being raised in Bali, Indonesia, Kat already learned a lot about climate and activism, especially watching the island transform over the years – “I grew up in Bali and Indonesia after my parents moved me there when I was very young and so I saw firsthand the effects of the climate crisis (…) We were seeing a lot more, like, pollution that people’s livelihoods were linked to tourism”. Kat also got an education at one of the most environmentally friendly schools on earth, the „Green School“ in Bali. “It’s literally built out of bamboo. We used to spend our lunchtimes engaging with the animals that were on campus that we had like cows and goats and chickens and we used to grow our own vegetables”. Going to a school which is all about the environment and sustainability was paving the way for Kat’s bright future at „Force Of Nature“.

Living in Bali was one of the most beautiful experiences for Kat, yet the toll the climate crisis had on the island did not go unnoticed. Seeing the worsening state of the island she loved so much, induced feelings like uncomfortableness and anxiety – a feeling many people might have felt in the last couple of years. Technically, the correct name for those feelings is called “climate anxiety” and describes what Kat’s line of work is all about. Currently, more and more people are working on equipping young people to take action in the field of climate change, for instance by giving workshops and having constant conversations about the topic. “We’ve just finished and graduated a series of training pathways that basically equip young people to have conversations about their climate emotions. First of all, like, understand what their emotions are in relation to the climate crisis, understand how to use those emotions to create agency“, Kat states.

However, her life in the climate industry started fairly early, she didn’t always stay in that field. While venturing out into the tech world, she soon realized this wasn’t for her. Even though Kat learned a lot about project management and solving problems in a team, these weren’t the kind of problems they were hoping to find solutions for. All these intern problems seemed too insignificant and „too small“ as if their outcome would change something about the world Kat was trying to turn into a better place. That was the reason for turning around and focusing on what was really important to her.

For this reason, Kat got in touch with the founder of “A Force of Nature” – she was the first one to be brave enough to stand in for what the organization was passionate about and ready to work for something she loved. This time with the intention to help create something and to be active and loud for the sake of many people.

With the organization just being at their early beginnings, Kat came just in time to become an active and important part of it. The mission of „Force of Nature“‚, founded by Kats acquaintance who also went to the Bali „Green School“, is to empower people and help them feel connected to others who are interested in being active for the same thing. The organization is all about creating opportunities for especially young people who want to bring about change in order to create a huge community where everyone feels welcome and gets their chance equally. It is all about having important conversations, giving people a room to speak and develop their thoughts and passions, since they are the world’s future and its creators. Another goal is to help people learn to be more articulate to build and improve their speaking skills.

Behind all the big events and important talks about climate change hides a lot of organization – having calls with clients, organizing workshops or working on projects – it’s a bit of a mix of everything. One thing that is getting clear is that it is all about having conversations and being in direct contact with people you could benefit from, which goes both ways.

Lastly, Kat’s advice for the young voices all around the world is that they should find something they are passionate about, something that interests them and start their way from there. Her tip is to not get lost in a jungle of problems but to find the one problem that matters the most and get invested there. “Don’t get bogged down in the complexity of the problem, but start where you are. Because (…) doing one thing in your community that works towards a solution (…) might lead to you starting your own initiative, right?”

Starting with a blank canvas leaves more room for creative opportunities and with creative minds you can accomplish anything.
After all, it is about finding your passion and finding your people – once you have found the right people, more actions can follow.