Catalyst Inc. is a global nonprofit headquarterd in New York City that is dedicated to advancing women in the workplace through research, consulting and advisory services, and outreach initiatives geared toward driving positive change. Areas of focus have included workplace flexibility, dual-career families, and childcare; women on corporate boards and in leadership positions; diversity, equity, and inclusion issues; sexual harassment; the gender pay gap; and unconscious bias.

Catalyst was founded in 1962 by feminist author and advocate Felice N. Schwartz (1925-1996). A Smith College graduate, Schwartz led the organization as president for thirty-one years. During its early decades, Catalyst focused on supporting individual women in their careers. It launched a pilot job-sharing project with the Massachusetts Department of Public Welfare, proving that part-time social workers could manage welfare caseloads without a significant loss in productivity and with less turnover. Other endeavors included a National Network of Career Resource Centers, a Career and Family Center, and a series of publications aimed at helping female college students envision and plan for their careers. The Corporate Board Resource, later named Corporate Board Placement, was launched in 1977 to assist corporations in identifying suitable female candidates for their boards of directors.

Schwartz wrote prolifically and made many media appearances advocating for women. While her 1972 book How to Go to Work When Your Husband is Against It, Your Children Aren't Old Enough, and There's Nothing You Can Do Anyhow was well received, she later became a controversial figure following the publication of her 1989 Harvard Business Review article, "Management Women and the New Facts of Life." Critics claimed Schwartz's article suggested two possible paths for working women: one career-focused (fast-track, viewed positively) and one that balances work and family life (slow-track, viewed negatively). The resulting phrase "Mommy track," coined by the New York Times, became part of the larger cultural dialogue of the 1990s. Schwartz maintained that her article was misinterpreted, asserting that her point was to illustrate how women face barriers men do not, and to encourage top (generally male) executives to fully utilize women's talent and potential, no matter how they choose to organize their lives.

Following Schwartz's retirement in 1993, Sheila Wellington (1932-), former secretary of Yale University, succeeded to Catalyst's presidency. The organization's operations expanded, both in scope and geographically. During her tenure, Wellington pursued a shift in approach first articulated by Schwartz: that Catalyst could increase its efficacy by focusing on changing corporate culture from the inside rather than elevating individual women. Accordingly, Wellington launched a series of major research projects over the course of the next decade that put Catalyst on the national stage as an information broker, including Women of Color in Corporate Management (1997-2001), the first significant research study to be conducted in this country focusing specifically on women of color professionals in the workplace. Wellington also launched the Census of Women Board Directors (WBD) and Census of Women Corporate Officers and Top Earners (COTE), two annual studies aimed at exposing the lack of women in corporate leadership at Fortune-list companies.

Catalyst Canada's Toronto office opened in 2000, followed by the Western Region office in San Jose, California, in 2001. In 2003, former technology industry executive and founding CEO of AltaVista Internet Software Inc. Ilene H. Lang (1943-) became president and chief executive officer. Lang further expanded Catalyst globally during her tenure, opening offices in Europe, India, Australia, and Japan. Lang was followed by Deborah Gillis, who led the organization from 2014 to 2018. Prior to her tenure as president and CEO, Gillis was vice president of North America at Catalyst Canada from 2006 to 2012 and chief operating officer from 2012 to 2014. Lorraine Hariton succeeded Gillis as president and CEO in 2018. Catalyst's twenty-first-century work focuses on four key areas: Advancing Women, Women and the Future of Work, Lead for Equity and Inclusion, and MARC (Men Advocating Real Change). The organization offers a variety of knowledge products, workshops, webinars, and events, and exhibits a strong social media presence.

In 1976, Catalyst held its first annual Catalyst Awards to celebrate individual women corporate board members. The nature of the awards changed in 1987 to recognize corporations and specific programs and initiatives that recruit, develop, and advance women in the workplace. The awards are presented at the annual Catalyst Awards Dinner. An accompanying Catalyst Awards Conference began in 1991, assembling experts from around the world to present and lead discussions related to women's leadership. The conference and dinner draw more than 2,000 attendees.

Catalyst maintains an extensive network of member organizations, referred to as Catalyst Supporters (numbering more than 500 in 2022). These financial contributors—corporations, firms, associations, and other organizations—receive premium content and services and engage in community building.