We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sunny Bray a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sunny, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?

My hero is my mom. She was an immigrant woman who came to the states in 1972 and in her lifetime she overcame adversity, racism, hate and judgement to become a successful business owner. My mom passed away December 17, 2023 and, upon reflection, I’ve learned and come to realize that my role model was right in front of me this whole time and I’m a lot more like her than I ever cared to admit. From her, I learned that hard work and resiliency are tools to achieving the life that you want. The cards were always against her, but for a woman determined to live “the American Dream” and ensure her child had a life better than hers, I’d say she did damn well for herself. Imagine this: being born during a war; leaving your family to a new country with very little ability to speak the language; studying and working to become a citizen; obtaining a driver’s license; bouncing back from bankruptcy; building a small business; and providing for your family. She was strength and resilience, unapologetically herself and had the strongest work ethic.

Sunny, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a passionate community-builder and I’ve always been really intentional about bringing people together to create lasting change. I started my professional career in corporate sales, tech start-ups and as a consultant providing sales growth and business development for various companies and industries. I lost a close friend to Melanoma and it caused me to shift my focus to more fulfilling work. I was and still am passionate about people, community and impact, and I knew firsthand the value of cultivating authentic relationships.

In 2015 I launched Network Under 40: Nashville, a successful networking organization for young professionals. Once I immersed myself in the community, I saw the challenges facing the city’s nonprofits and knew that I could help. Three years later I founded Catalyst Collective on a mission to change the world. Providing value, creating impact while working with some pretty great people feels good. There really can be balance, routine and alignment without sacrificing time with my family or my mental health. Since founding Catalyst, I’ve been recognized through several awards including The Nashville Post’s 2020 All-Star Board and the 2023 & 2024 In Charge list; named to the 2021 40 Under 40 list and a 2023 Women of Influence Honoree by The Nashville Business Journal; Nfocus Magazine’s 2022 Model Behavior and the 2023 Bizwomen100 list.

Catalyst Collective equips organizations with tools for better outcomes, greater revenue growth and increased impact through the collaboration of funders, businesses, community leaders and nonprofits. We are laser-focused on serving nonprofits and mission-driven organizations that understand the need for marketing, grant development and overall effective operations. They come to us for help developing these mission-critical resources so they can spread their community impact and in turn reach more supporters, volunteers, and donors.

When I think about what makes me unique, I think about what I hope to do, which is to make an impact and disrupt the status quo. I feel that I can have a positive impact in many ways. I can set an example as a role model for young women, especially minority women. I want to show that you can have it all: Be a business owner yet still prioritize family and mental health. I want people to know that you can learn from the challenges you’ve faced or obstacles you’ve had to overcome rather than letting them define you.

Related to that is disruption; I want to speak up about things many are often afraid to talk about. I really feel if people are vulnerable and authentic, there will be more community and connection. We are all battling challenges and they do show up at work. For example, I lost my mom in December and before that I was in and out of the ICU with her for two months. I was a caretaker all while being pulled in multiple directions: mom, wife, running a business. We often talk about mentorship, but what’s really needed for people to succeed are sponsors and advocates. Who is already in these rooms and at the tables during conversations? At those tables, how are they mentioning others — especially people of color? I want to challenge those in positions of power and privilege where their actions don’t align with their words.

When I think about my legacy, I want to be known for impacting nonprofits, equipping them with the tools and resources for them to transform our community. I would love to scale Catalyst Collective to a 7-figure company and be a connector that helps people new to Nashville feel welcomed, included and able to grow professionally and personally.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The last role I held before I started my business was as the Tennessee Community Lead for a nonprofit organization. I was making great strides and was responsible for creating strategic partnerships, building brand recognition and obtaining funding. I started to notice a shift in the rooms I was in, though. After asking questions and a few friends bringing it to my attention, I learned that my CEO had broken trust with several community leaders. This resulted in me being unable to accomplish more of what I was hired to do. When I brought this to my leadership, I was asked to resign a week later. I took several months to reflect, reconnecting with an old high school friend (who is now my husband!) who encouraged me to start my business. I now have the blessings, like my husband and beautiful baby girl, and gratitude I didn’t know I would have had I not gone through that.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I think about resilience, I immediately think about losing my mom last December. When my mom was in and out of the ICU for 2 months late last year, I was spending time as a caretaker, wife, mother and business owner during what is supposed to be a magical holiday season (especially for a 3 year old). I was pulled in so many directions while processing my mom’s condition and eventually her death. It’s been hard and challenging in ways I could never have prepared for, but through all of this I have grown my team and business. We are thriving in ways I’ve always dreamed about.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://catalystcollective.co/
• Instagram: catalyst_collectiveco | sunnybray_
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/catalyst-collective-co | www.linkedin.com/in/sunny-bray

Image Credits

Judith Hill Photography