Overview:

Catalyst has been a respected leader in workplace inclusion since the 1960s, helping organizations build better cultures by empowering employees and enabling systemic change. With decades of experience driving progress in the workplace, Catalyst.org serves as a crucial platform for member organizations seeking access to premium resources - including events, webinars, insights, and training - designed to support business challenges through innovation, talent engagement, and cultural transformation. 

As a nonprofit, Catalyst depends on the performance of its website to engage corporate sponsors and deliver value. The platform offers gated content to participating organizations, making secure, reliable access and strong content discoverability essential. 

The Challenge: A Compressed Timeline for Digital Transformation 

Catalyst’s existing WordPress website had become outdated, lacking the performance, flexibility, and scalability needed to support its evolving digital strategy. The organization needed a fast, seamless transition to a modern content architecture without compromising quality. 

With an ambitious timeline in place, XCentium delivered expert leadership to guide a parallel development process that allowed design and build phases to progress simultaneously. While an external agency managed visual design, XCentium played a consultative role in reviewing technical feasibility, identifying opportunities to begin development early, and ensuring cohesion between design and function. 

By prioritizing functionality first, the team-maintained flexibility on visual elements while ensuring all core features were delivered on schedule. 

The Solution: Modern Architecture, Smart Search, and Frictionless Access 

To meet Catalyst’s goals, XCentium implemented a modern composable microservices architecture using Contentstack. This cloud-based, headless CMS offered the scalability, performance, and modularity needed to support future growth and dynamic content needs. 

Enhanced Content Discovery with Azure AI Search 

One of the biggest frustrations for users of the legacy site was the inability to efficiently find the right resources. In response, XCentium integrated Azure AI Search to improve content discovery. The upgrade included: 

This ensured that users could quickly locate the most relevant materials, increasing engagement and demonstrating the value of membership. 

Simplified, Secure Access via SSO and Passwordless Login 

Ease of access was a major priority. Previous authentication flows were cumbersome and often discouraged users from returning to the platform. To improve this, XCentium implemented: 

These changes reduced friction and improved security while giving users faster access to content. 

Strategic Consulting and Execution 

In addition to the CMS implementation, XCentium delivered strategic guidance on platform architecture, content structure, and user authentication. This included advising on best practices for designing content modules, such as event listings and speaker bios, to ensure consistency and usability across the site. 

By working collaboratively across teams and maintaining open lines of communication, XCentium ensured that evolving requirements were addressed quickly - without derailing the timeline. 

Results 

Conclusion: 

Catalyst.org’s transformation reflects the power of combining strategic planning with technical innovation. By moving from an aging WordPress system to a flexible microservices-based solution, Catalyst now has a high-performance platform that’s easy to manage and built to grow with their audience. 

With improved access, better search, and smarter content delivery, Catalyst is now positioned to provide a best-in-class experience for its sponsoring organizations. XCentium was proud to play a role in this successful transformation, offering both technical expertise and strategic insight throughout the process. As a trusted partner, we help organizations move faster, think smarter, and create digital platforms that truly perform.