Catherine Curry-Williams

Early life and Shane's Inspiration

Curry-Williams was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1958 or 1959, and later moved to Los Angeles.

A 2001 Los Angeles Times feature reported on the playground's use by families from throughout the Los Angeles area and described it as having been created by Curry-Williams and her husband in memory of their son.

Shane's Inspiration subsequently expanded its accessible-playground work beyond Griffith Park. In 2014, CBS Los Angeles reported that the organization was opening its 50th playground.

The organization also developed educational programs intended to encourage interaction among children with and without disabilities.

In 2024, the Los Angeles Times reported that more than 70 accessible playgrounds associated with the initiative had opened worldwide.

Later work

Curry-Williams co-founded the She Angels Foundation in 2020. The foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations supporting women and girls.

In 2024, Curry-Williams published Philanthropy on a Shoestring: How to Make a Difference on $1.40 a Day through Three Tomatoes Publishing. She was also named a L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth honoree that year. Points of Light named her Daily Point of Light No. 5702 in March 2016.

Selected works