Catherine M. Pino is Co-Founder & Principal of D&P Creative Strategies a company they founded in 2004. Along with partner Ingrid, Catherine's aim is to advance corporate, philanthropic and legislative efforts that mirror her deep commitment to social justice and civil rights issues.

Catherine has two decades of experience working in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, where she has developed an expertise for designing and evaluating programs that target underserved populations. She advises nonprofit leaders on capacity building and effective program implementation, and has worked closely with Fortune 100 companies and private foundations to advance social service initiatives. She is highly sought after for her knowledge and insights on strategic philanthropy.

She served as the Deputy Director of Urban School Reform for the Carnegie Corporation of New York. There she managed a $60 million high school reform initiative, a multi-million dollar portfolio, and a $25 million Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant.

Her desire to help the disadvantaged took root at an early age, and was fostered through numerous volunteer activities in her hometown of Albuquerque. After college, she worked in the Capitol Hill office of New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman, where she learned firsthand how public policy and legislation intersect with nonprofit efforts.

Her burgeoning interest in public policy led her to the National Council of La Raza, the nation's oldest Hispanic civil rights organization. There she worked as a liaison to the organization's board and corporate advisors, cultivating valuable, long-lasting professional relationships.

At the Washington, DC-based Independent Sector, she represented nonprofit interests on a broadrange of issues on Capitol Hill and was the liaison to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. She co-created Independent Sector's Future Leadership Initiative, which focused on efforts to attract, retain and develop young leaders in the non-profit sector. Her entrée into the foundation world began soon after at the DeWitt Wallace-Readers Digest Fund, where she managed a $48 million youth development and education portfolio.

Catherine has spoken broadly on issues of philanthropy, youth, school reform and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights. She has been widely recognized for her professional and civic accomplishments, having received both the New York State Special Civil Rights Award and the Robert F. Wagner Public Service Award. In 2004, she was named by Hispanic Magazine as a Latina of Excellence.

Together, Ingrid and Catherine founded PODER PAC a political action committee by Latinas for Latinas. PODER PAC is a national effort to increase the number of Latinas elected at all levels of government. In 2010, they created two production companies, Brown Beauty Productions and Milagro Productions, and work on film projects near and dear to their hearts.