2 Reasons To Buy Time Out New York This Week.


1) It’s the “Find a Better Job” issue.

2) This profile on: Rachael Chong, 29, Tribeca

Founder and CEO of Catchafire (catchafire.org)

The company: Catchafire aims to match busy professionals with nonprofits and social enterprises in search of volunteers. Participating companies pay an annual membership fee, which grants them access to an extensive database of pro bono help.

How she made it: Chong was frustrated by her inability to serve the greater good while keeping her day job as an investment banker. In the fall of 2005, she helped kick off BRAC USA, the U.S. foundation of the world’s largest nonprofit. To grow the company at no cost, she called on friends with a variety of skills and backgrounds. Not only did she raise $40 million for BRAC in its first nine months, the experience inspired her to start Catchafire in 2009.

Best tip: Chong recommends working at a company similar to the one you’re interested in launching, preferably a start-up: “If you want to create a social-good fashion company, choose [a place ] like GreenSoul Shoes, so that you can learn more about the ups and downs of beginning something new,” she explains. Chong may create an apprenticeship at Catchafire, so that impassioned entrepreneurs can benefit from observing her company’s progress.