What it takes to move from awareness to action, according to climate and mental health advocate Cat Triviño

Looking at where your industry is now, where do you feel your work has made the most lasting impact?

What feels most lasting is seeing a shift in how people engage with these issues—from asking why they matter to asking how they can act. That transition signals something deeper than awareness; it suggests readiness.

Real change depends on systems that are accessible, agile, and centred on both people and the planet. At work, I’m intentional about ensuring that not just the outcomes, but the process itself, remains deeply human.

Whether in climate or mental health, the work has helped make care, action, responsibility—and, importantly, hope—feel normal rather than exceptional. That sense of normalcy is what allows change to endure beyond moments of urgency.

What about your work feels most urgent or necessary today compared to when you first started?

Climate action feels far more urgent now because we are approaching very real tipping points. What has shifted is not the importance of the issue, but the timeline. Today, many of the solutions finally match the scale of the problem—greener alternatives are more affordable, technology can scale quickly, and information is widely accessible. The question is no longer whether change is possible, but whether we will act in time.

At CORA, our focus is on translating that urgency into action: building climate literacy, mobilising communities, and making sustainable choices immediately accessible. Urgency today means moving people from awareness to leadership, and from intention to systems that function meaningfully on the ground.

Mental healthcare is at a similar inflection point. Awareness is high, stigma continues to recede, and the need is undeniable—yet access and infrastructure still lag behind. The work now lies in shifting from reactive to preventative care, embedding mental health into workplaces and communities so that support exists long before crisis.

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What challenges have you faced as a woman in your field, and what have they taught you?

Many of the challenges I’ve encountered stem less from being a woman, and more from working within deeply sensitive and complex fields. Climate action and mental health both require trust, vulnerability, and a long-term perspective—conditions that can be difficult to sustain in any environment.

That said, working closely with men navigating mental health concerns, or with more traditional male leaders, has required a certain adaptability in how I communicate and build relationships. There is a constant need to meet people where they are, without losing clarity or conviction.

At the same time, I remain conscious that many women continue to face structural barriers around safety, credibility, access, and leadership. Holding that reality has made me more deliberate in creating space—for myself and for others—and more fearless in occupying it.

Beyond your own projects, how do you hope your journey inspires the next generation of women in your industry?

I hope it demonstrates that meaningful impact does not have to come at the expense of authenticity or well-being. It is possible to lead important work, build credibility, and still remain human in how you show up.

More than offering a template, I would want it to give women permission: to enter complex and sensitive spaces without hardening themselves; to ask better questions rather than feel pressure to have all the answers; and to build careers that are aligned with their values, rather than solely external markers of success.

There’s a note on my wall that I return to often: I can change the world without destroying myself. It serves as both a reminder and a boundary.

Looking back, is there a moment in your career that stands out as a turning point or a proud milestone?

There hasn’t been a single defining turning point. My career has been shaped by continuous reinvention—by revisiting, unlearning, and rebuilding at different stages.

What I value most is not one milestone, but the accumulation of choices made over time. I am proud of every version of myself that has led me here, and of the decision, each day, to continue showing up—for people, and for the planet.