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Continue reading →: The Difference Between a Natural Disaster and a Human CatastropheThere are moments in life when distance becomes unbearable. I’ve lived in Canada for almost twenty years. In many ways, it has become home. It’s where I’ve built my career as a Professional Engineer, where I’ve learned to think about the world through the lens of risk, resilience, and systems.…
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Continue reading →: Why Canada’s Lithium Story Is DifferentWhen most people think about lithium production, they picture the salt flats of South America and projects built specifically to extract lithium. What I observed at a recent Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) conference in Calgary was something different. Many of the discussions weren’t really about lithium mining at all. They…
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Continue reading →: Girls in STEM Day: The Leadership We Should Be Teaching EarlyToday is Girls in STEM Day, and I can’t stop thinking about something I’ve seen again and again. Girls don’t struggle in STEM because they lack intelligence. They struggle because the environment often teaches them something quietly and unfairly: Be perfect, or don’t speak.Get it right the first time, or…
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Continue reading →: A Leadership Practice, Not a PerformanceThe Catalyst Blueprint™ emphasizes that true leadership is a practice, not just a title or checklist. Starting March 2026, Catalyst™ Leadership Workshops will offer human-centered experiences for teams, focusing on psychological safety, emotional regulation, and building trust. These workshops aim to cultivate effective leadership in high-pressure environments.
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Continue reading →: The Work Continues: Catalyst for Girls in STEMAfter months of writing, sketching, testing, and trusting the process… Catalyst: A Human-Centered Leadership Workbook for Girls in STEM is now live. This didn’t begin as a product idea.It started with real girls. Over the past few years, I’ve sat with them—in workshops, classrooms, and circles. I watched them dive…
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Continue reading →: No One Told MeA personal reflection on menopause, itching, and the harm of calling a natural transition “atrophy.” On language, silence, and women’s bodies.
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Continue reading →: What We Name, Finds UsThe universe is a genie waiting for your command—but only when we name our hopes, do we begin to recognize the shape of them in our everyday lives. We give them form. We create intention. We stay awake to what matters. Each January, I sit with scissors, stickers, and a…
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Continue reading →: January 3, 2026— What It Means to Me as a Venezuelan I don’t usually write about politics. But today, as a Venezuelan who emigrated 17 years ago, I couldn’t stay silent. On January 3rd, 2026, something historic happened.Nicolás Maduro — who held onto power for over a decade after dismantling Venezuela’s economy,…
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Continue reading →: The Real Role of a Project ManagerIt wasn’t on the official list. It didn’t have a budget. And technically… it wasn’t even a project. When I was asked to “take over” a technical trial that some senior engineers were running, something felt off. They were brilliant, deeply technical and highly experienced, but stuck. They’d been experimenting…
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Continue reading →: Creating While WaitingIt’s a strange thing to feel so uncertain about your future, and yet, somehow, stay deeply anchored. That’s what Catalyst has been for me. I’m still looking for my next role.Still applying.Still navigating interviews that go silent, recommendations that don’t land, and waiting rooms that feel endless. But while I…
Meet Mairim Neves
Engineer • Mentor • Founder • Storyteller
I’m an engineer with over two decades of experience leading complex projects — and a lifelong learner passionate about people, purpose, and growth. Through my blog “It’s Not a Legacy, It’s Just Me,” I share reflections on leadership, travel, and the everyday moments that shape who we are.
The Catalyst Blueprint™ — my leadership framework born from real engineering experience — is where reflection meets action.
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Mairim Neves 