Looking back and moving forward: Sheeza Shah on her time at Catalyst

7^th July 2025

Joe Roberson

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As Sheeza Shah steps down as a Catalyst co-director, we asked her to share honest reflections on her journey, the meaning of tech justice, and what comes next. Here, Sheeza speaks in her own words about the impact of Catalyst, and why the work matters.

What first drew you to Catalyst?

As a founder of a tech for good company, I’ve always cared about building technology that serves marginalised communities. Too often, big tech causes harm, and I’ve spent years trying to build and resource alternatives.

When I came across Catalyst Network, their approach to tech and power really stood out. I appreciated their focus on sociocracy, power-sharing, and non-hierarchical leadership—frameworks I’ve spent years learning from and co-designing. Returning to work after maternity leave, it felt safe and familiar to step into an organisation that shared my values.

What are you most proud of from your time at Catalyst?

The November funders forum really stands out for me. I loved the energy and the honest conversations people brought to the space. We centred projects, initiatives and stories after the 2024 riots, which were rooted in anti-migrant, anti-Muslim, and anti-Arab sentiment. Creating a space for healing and naming pain made me feel seen—especially as a Muslim, which isn’t something I’m used to in non-Muslim organisations.

I’ve also loved working with the Catalyst team. Our regular check-ins, culture meetings, and the way we made space for our personal lives have meant a lot to me. It’s rare to see colleagues go out of their way to honour Islamic values over organisational norms, and that really cemented my desire to work here.

I enjoyed holding planning, tech and data and fundraising domains. I’m most proud of the evolution of our funders’ forum. Bringing together funders and grassroots voices to talk about dismantling oppression and building tech justice solutions was a highlight. Co-leading the ethical funder framework and business model work with Jo Morfee was also meaningful, especially as we checked for alignment with Islamic trade practices. Our online session on building equitable AI futures was also an insightful experience.

I’m proud of the Tech Justice Circle and the chance to showcase the work of everyone involved to our funders through various channels.

What does tech justice mean to you?

For me, tech justice means working with communities and amplifying voices that are often overlooked. Using participatory design has been powerful.

The Tech Justice Circle is a great example. We worked directly with grassroots groups from marginalised backgrounds—people with lived experience of being exploited or overlooked. The aim was to centre their expertise and let them design values-led tech. That’s the future I want to see.

Where has Catalyst done well, and where has it struggled?

I’m proud that Catalyst has worked to share power and resources with grassroots organisations. Distributing grants and letting partners decide how funding is used felt like real power-sharing. I’ve valued being part of that.

I also appreciate the comms team’s work in making sense of the complexity and sharing both the good and the hard parts with the world.

We’ve had tough conversations and tried to make space for people’s pain and experiences of injustice. We’re still learning, but we’ve tried to put safety and repair at the centre.

Funding has been a big challenge. Many organisations we admire have folded this year. The wider world—exploitation in Congo, genocide in Palestine, the dehumanisation of people from the global majority—means grief and systemic change go together. Sometimes it feels impossible to dismantle such a corrupt system, and it can be overwhelming.

But I’ve found comfort in seeing people bring their whole selves to our gatherings and in reading about the impact of our network.

What have you learned?

I’ve learned a lot about participatory design and making space for others. It’s not always easy to communicate the pressures of being a director, especially with all the assumptions people have about power. Investing in cultural spaces that help break down those barriers has been important.

Personally, I’ve learned how hard it is to juggle being a parent to two young daughters and leading two organisations part-time. As passionate as I am about tech justice, I’ve learned it’s sometimes necessary to step back and not push beyond my limits—making space for others who have the capacity to step in. I’m leaving Catalyst in good hands and feel honoured to have learned from so many talented people.

How have Catalyst’s values shaped your work?

Putting equity, interdependence, and inclusion at the centre has kept me grounded. These values push me to check my own biases and make sure my actions match what we stand for.

I try to pause, get feedback, and learn from everyone we work with, then adapt based on what people need and experience.

Have you noticed any shifts in how people talk about technology and power?

I’ve seen a heartwarming response from people we’ve connected with. Joining Catalyst opened my eyes to so many conversations and projects I didn’t know about before, just because we found a shared language in tech justice.

Seeing the Tech Justice Circle bring people together has shown me the incredible grassroots work happening across the country. I have especially been excited by Shaf Choudry’s contributions to Catalyst, including the evidence repository on 2023-25 tech harms and injustices. Discovering groups like Identity 2.0 and the Muslim Tech Manifesto through Muslim Tech Fest has been reassuring—we’re seeing a real shift in how people talk about tech ethics and justice.

People are waking up to the harms of big tech and want to build something different. That’s been validating and comforting for me.

What worries you?

Most conversations about tech justice are still happening in small circles. Many people are still fascinated by AI and want to replicate Silicon Valley here. There’s still a lack of awareness about the harm caused by tech that puts profit over people, and I worry we’re heading for a hard awakening as a society.

What’s next for you?

I’ll be focusing on UpEffect, the organisation I founded in 2016. We’re designing equitable funding tools for entrepreneurs from the global majority. I believe finance sits at the heart of a lot of injustice, and I want to revive the original essence of Islamic economics—championing wealth equality, fair trade, and equitable partnerships.

I also want to spend more time with my daughters and make space for rest and repair.

Even as I step down as a director at Catalyst, I still believe in the need for infrastructure that supports tech justice organisations. I’m sure I’ll keep contributing to this work in some way.

Do you have a message for Catalyst’s network?

A message of hope: to anyone feeling disheartened by what they see in technology: there are amazing people and organisations doing important work to shift things. If you have a platform or resources, use them – and use them boldly. Collaborate with others who share your goals. This work can’t be done alone; systems only start to break when we act together.

Sheeza is a Brown Muslim woman wearning a hijab and looking to the left. She is wearing black glasses and is smiling. She is wearing a navy jacket with gold buttons