The Story Behind BAYCAT
BAYCAT exists to end racism and sexism through storytelling. In this moving TED Talk, Villy Wang, BAYCAT founder and CEO, explains how she came up with the idea, what hurdles she had to cross, and how she and her team made it happen.
BAYCAT by the Numbers
In the past 15 years, we've educated over 4,250 youth and launched more than 225 careers in filmmaking and storytelling.
78% of our graduates are people of color, and 58% are women.
82% of our graduates have been hired by major media, entertainment, tech, advertising, and PR companies.
Our Vision
BAYCAT believes that every person’s story matters. We envision a world where media and technology facilitate the telling of stories from the broadest possible range of experiences, driving people to create inclusive, equitable communities.
Our Mission
BAYCAT exists to end racial, gender and economic inequity by creating powerful, authentic media while diversifying the creative industry. Through the education and employment of low-income youth, young people of color, and young women in the Bay Area, and producing media for socially-minded clients, we are changing the stories that get shared with the world.
Meet Our Team
Forward-thinking. Dedicated. Relentless.
BAYCAT's success is a direct result of our passionate staff and board,
made up of industry professionals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Cynthia Lee
Board Member
Rakuten Americas
The way we can teach people is through visualization and the sharing of stories with common threads. Without storytelling experiences, people do not realize they are projecting racism because it has become common behavior in society. There are countless stories that need to be heard and BAYCAT is the platform to help achieve this.
Hanna Bankier
Board Member
Working Solutions Group
The way BAYCAT teaches not just the hard technical skills, but puts just as much emphasis on the much needed soft skills speaks to me. As a storyteller and as a consumer of stories, I fully understand the value and importance of diversifying the storytellers.
Meet Our Board
Lisa Luscap
Board Member
Snowflake
I attended a BAYCAT youth screening event and was blown away by the insights and bravery that was conveyed through the youth pieces. Coming from tech and entertainment, I've seen the underrepresentation first hand and believe that each of us, as leaders in our own areas, need to be a part of the change we want to see.