From Cuba to Compassionate Laureate: Marta Miranda-Straub’s Journey of Empowerment and Impact

Marta Miranda-Straub is a trailblazer whose career spans four decades of leadership, advocacy, and service. Born in Cuba and immigrating to the United States at the age of 12, Marta’s journey has been shaped by her deep commitment to social justice and community well-being. With an academic background that includes degrees in anthropology, sociology, and social work, she has built an extensive career in public service, mental health, and organisational leadership.

Marta is the former Commissioner of Kentucky’s Department of Community-Based Services (DCBS), where she oversaw all social services for the state, managing a 4,500-person workforce and a billion-dollar budget. Prior to her role with DCBS, she led The Center for Women and Families, a non-profit supporting survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Her 20 year tenure as a professor at Eastern Kentucky University and her work as a psychotherapist specializing in mental health and substance abuse have further cemented her reputation as a dedicated advocate for marginalized communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Marta’s activism spans gender justice, anti-racism, LGBTQ+ civil rights, and humane immigration reform. An award-winning leader, author, and poet, Marta continues to make an impact through her organizational consulting firm, Catapult Now LLC, and her literary contributions, which capture her life’s work and vision for a more just society.

For more information and client testimonials, please visit her site: www.martamirandastraub.com.

In this interview, Marta shares insights into her career and the pivotal moments that shaped her journey as a leader and change-maker:

Q. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

Marta: My why for founding Catapult Now is to bring added value, capacity, and content expertise to individuals, teams, and organizations, to harness human potential and co-create sustainable systems change.

We provide strategic planning, board development, team building, change management, leadership coaching, fundraising strategies, and help design and manage capital campaigns.

We provide training and support for engaging in culture change and establishing best practices for developing equitable policies and practices that yield a culture of belonging.

Q. How did you get started?

Marta: I started consulting after I retired as the CEO of the Center for Women and Families and closed my clinical practice. In my experience, traditional consultants did not offer the ongoing support needed by individuals, teams, and organizations to manage the implementation, evaluation, and recalibration of organisational strategies. We stay engaged for one year after the deliverables agreed upon are completed. I like to call it “Keeping the plan alive”

Q. What was your biggest startup challenge? What steps did you take to overcome it? What did you learn?

Marta: My challenge at startup was realistically estimating the amount of hours and fees that the contracts required.

I met with other colleagues offering similar services, sought business development coaching, and learned how to properly value our time and budget.

Q. What is the most memorable thing you’ve done since you started your business?

Marta: I loved working with my first two org clients, who had low capacity and budgets, and helping them achieve their next level of success. Their ability to grow the staff, increase services, and successfully engage volunteers and donors made my heart sing.

In addition, working with a large conservative law firm on designing and implementing the recruitment, development, and retention of lawyers of color and women to become partners was truly inspirational.

One of my greatest success stories is co-creating the success of the United Way in totally changing its business proposition from an outdated community chest model to a high-impact community impact investment organization with a focus on underserved zip codes.

Q. What is one book you recommend, and why?

Marta: I highly recommend Brene Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection. Her expertise in managing unrealistic expectations and emphasis on integrating the mind, body, and spirit with compassion were game-changers for me.

Q. What are your top 3 favourite online apps, tools or resources and what do you love about them?

Marta: Do to manage lists, Calendly to manage demands on my schedule, and Insight to listen to and practice meditation.

Q. In terms of legacy, what is the mark you’d like to leave on the world?

Marta: A just world where everyone is valued, and where, organisations, teams and individuals thrive

Q. In one sentence, what’s the best advice you’d give to someone just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey?

Marta: A vision without a plan is a hallucination, make a plan, work the plan, evaluate and recalibrate the plan without ever taking your eyes of your north star.

To keep up to date with Marta and her journey, connect with her on Facebook, and Instagram.