Come to the open hours!

During open hours, you will be able to chat with mentors and share your idea. We will support you through the brainstorming process, help you sketch out the goals and steps to reach them. Feel free to come just for one-time consultation or choose to keep working on your project with our support.

Sophie Ford

Sophie (she/her) ‘25, one of the Catalyst coordinators, is from Des Moines, Iowa. She studies Mathematics and Economics. Beyond the classroom and the catalyst, she runs for the Grinnell Cross Country and Track and Field teams. Reach out to her if you are interested in all things innovation, investing and all things about numbers.   
Email: fordsoph@grinnell.edu

Parikshit Roychowdhury

Parikshit ‘26 (he/him), one of the Catalyst coordinators, is from Kolkata, India. He is majoring in Economics and Anthropology. He is interested in international development, emerging markets and education technology. He is also part of the International Students Organization and is hoping to start his podcast.    
Email: roychowd@grinnell.edu

Candice Lu

Candice (she/her) ‘26 is a student mentor from Taoyuan, Taiwan. She is a psychology and computer science double major with a statistics concentration. Outside of her majors, she is also interested in sociology, community involvement, and social innovation, with an emphasis on how to make the world a more friendly and liveable place. 
Email: lucandic@grinnell.edu

Nicholas Lampietti

Nicholas ’25 is majoring in sociology with a concentration in peace and conflict studies. He has undertaken several internships in marketing and communications, and he developed, produced, and hosted a podcast, “Going Forth,” with the CLS.
Email: lampiett@grinnell.edu

Rabbani Batra

Rabbani (she/her) ’28 is a Catalyst mentor from Abbotsford, Canada and Patiala, India. She intends to major in Economics with a concentration in statistics. Apart from this, she is interested in mathematics, art, and entrepreneurship, with a focus on the intersection of business and social impact.
Email: batrarab@grinnell.edu