In our last newsletter, Catapult’s Director of Operations, Lingaire Njie, shared the three words she believes set Catapult apart: safe, intentional, and flexible. That same spirit is what drew one of our newest team members, ShaRonda Ensley, to Catapult — and what she now helps cultivate in her role as Retail and Business Development Coordinator.
Ensley brings deep expertise from over a decade in the retail industry — spanning roles at Sherwin-Williams and Nordstrom, and backed by degrees in merchandising management and business. She works one-on-one with entrepreneurs in our Retail Gallery Incubator and Retail Residencies, helping them refine their brands, merchandise their products, and grow their businesses with purpose.
She’s also on a journey of her own. As a participant in Catapult’s current Startup to Storefront cohort, Ensley is building House of Redemption, a faith-based elevated streetwear line designed to inspire connection, creativity, and community. In this Q&A, Ensley shares how she went from applying to a Catapult program to mentoring our next generation of business owners and why her goal is to help entrepreneurs use their gifts not just to prosper, but to create lasting legacies.
Can you share your journey and what led you to become a Retail and Business Development Coordinator at Catapult?
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and graduated from Langley High School in Sheraden. After high school, I planned to attend art school, but the college closed just before the semester started. I took time off, worked in hospitals doing dietary and materials handling, and eventually felt called to return to school. I earned an associate’s degree in merchandising management and specialized business from Bradford School, and then went on to complete a two-year accelerated business program at Point Park University, where I earned my bachelor’s degree while working full time. After graduating, I held several retail roles, including four and a half years as an assistant and store manager at Sherwin-Williams, followed by positions at Nordstrom in sales and management. I got married in September, and right before the wedding, I felt a strong pull to step away from my role at Nordstrom. I thought, “Let’s just go with all new beginnings.”
Soon after, I met a woman at the Catapult Culinary commercial kitchen for a food tasting. She told me about the program, and I immediately thought of my husband, who’s a former chef. I went home and was like, “We should look into this,” and we applied the next day. During the discovery call for the entrepreneurship program, Lachelle asked if I had a background in retail based on my style and appearance. When I told her about my experience, she said, “I’ve been praying for someone with retail expertise — and I believe it’s you.” I wasn’t actively looking for a job, but I was open, especially when she said that I could also participate in the Startup to Storefront program alongside the role. That call happened on a Wednesday. By Monday, I was interviewing, and around two weeks later, I was offered the position.
I truly believe this opportunity was divinely placed in my path. It was a reminder for me to let go and let God continue to order my steps.
Tell us about the business you are launching with the support of Startup to Storefront.
It’s going to be an elevated, faith-based streetwear clothing brand called House of Redemption Co. We will have a series of capsule collections that will tie in with different books and scriptures from the Bible. I’m working on the website now, drafting our first capsule collection, and working on some initiatives to connect with the community.
My vision is to use this business as a way to bring people closer to God. We are living through some very trying times, and so many of us are so worried about ourselves that we are losing sight of what the main goal is — and that’s unity and being there to support one another. So, if my gift of fashion and color can be an avenue or new way to unite people, then that’s what I want to do.
I think my participation in the program will also be an added bonus for the people I will be helping in my role as Retail and Business Development Coordinator. I will know what they’ve been through and be able to speak to that better and have a better understanding of what the next level should consist of.
What does a typical day look like for you as the Retail and Business Development Coordinator?
No two days are the same — and I love that. A few times a week, I’m at the Gallery on Centre, working one-on-one with participants in our Retail Gallery Incubator. Some have already gone through the Startup to Storefront program while others are in our tier two Leap Ahead program, and my role is to give them tailored support to help refine their products, strengthen their brand, and think through their next steps.
I treat the first sessions like a “brain dump,” to get everything out on the table. From there, I help them shape a plan — never shutting an idea down, but guiding them to think it through from a retail and consumer perspective. My goal is to help them expand beyond the gallery space and position themselves for long-term success. I also support visual merchandising in the gallery, helping arrange everything from clothing to spices to skincare in ways that draw customers in, including working on Catapult’s first window display. I want each brand’s presentation to feel polished and purposeful, so that it truly connects with shoppers.
I also support our retail residencies, like Serenity Bloom, providing feedback and troubleshooting challenges. And I help entrepreneurs develop their brand stories — because we often buy with our emotions, and a strong story can be what sets a brand’s product apart.
Ultimately, I want our participants to leave no opportunity on the table. Their time in the Retail Gallery Incubator should be a springboard that catapults them into the next big thing for their brand.
What are some of the biggest challenges you see entrepreneurs facing with branding and merchandising?
One of the biggest struggles is alignment — trying to combine ideas that don’t quite fit together. I help them think critically about how their vision lands from a customer’s perspective.
For example, one entrepreneur was creating gift baskets using products from other brands. We worked together to pivot the concept into a service — curated corporate gifts — rather than a product-based business that might hit legal snags. She’d never thought of it that way, but it opened up a whole new path. My role is to challenge ideas in a supportive way. If it doesn’t work, we go back to the drawing board — because if it’s your passion, we’ll find a way to make it make sense.
From your perspective, what makes Catapult unique?
It’s the intentionality. There are other organizations doing good work, but Catapult creates an environment that’s welcoming, empowering, and real. People feel safe enough to share their struggles, take risks, and grow. You can see and feel the energy — our Startup to Storefront sessions almost run over sometimes because we’re having so much fun!
What’s even more powerful is the sense of family. Catapult truly cares and knows that people in underserved communities deserve the opportunity to create generational wealth through whatever entrepreneurial avenue they choose.
Here at Catapult, we make people who have had rough upbringings or are from different circumstances and backgrounds feel seen, heard, and supported.
Since joining the Catapult family, I’ve truly seen and felt the lasting impact that occurs when vision meets intentionality and is executed with care — how truly life-changing it can be.
Why do you think entrepreneurship is such a powerful tool for building self-sufficiency and achieving economic justice in our communities?
Entrepreneurship is powerful, because it not only helps people create their own sense of ownership and belonging, but it also helps build legacies. Just look at businesses that have been in families for generations — it creates a whole different trajectory for someone’s life, because there’s security in growing up knowing that you have a stake in something your family built and grew. Entrepreneurship also opens people’s minds up to all the different opportunities that this world has to offer. If you build a brand and that brand turns into a brick-and-mortar, maybe you will see that you are now in a comfortable position to further grow your generational wealth through homeownership or even venturing into purchasing rental properties.
It creates a ripple effect. When people are empowered, they can reach back and help someone else rise. God has blessed each of us with gifts, and they are not for us to keep and hold on to. With entrepreneurship, you are building not only for yourself and your legacy but also to give back to the world what God has given to you. I believe that is what we’re here to do.
