Mary Kathryn Rodrigue – 2014 People to Watch

Occupation: Founder, The Wellness Studio, The Drew Rodrigue Foundation and Young Adults Taking a Stand Against Cancer
Hometown: New Orleans
Age: 30

If Dr. Mary Kathryn Rodrigue is difficult to nail down, perhaps it is because the counselor and consultant has founded The Wellness Studio, headquartered in Baton Rouge with satellites in Covington and New Orleans; two non-profits with heart, the Drew Rodrigue Foundation, named after her late husband, and Young Adults Taking a Stand Against Cancer (YATS); a partnership with Our Lady of the Lake Foundation to build a new children’s play center; the annual Bugs & Brew festival; and a continual collaboration with Project Runway All Stars winner Anthony Ryan Auld for everything from his Roar foundation to designing reclaimed interiors, all by the age of 30. She modeled in our September 2013 fashion issue, too. Because she can.

Though she is mulling a new pop-up dinner concept and expanding her practice, she vows not to launch a new non-profit in 2014. She’s focusing on tripling the Drew Rodrigue Foundation’s fundraising, publishing a wellness book that is part journal and part goal-setting planner, and inspiring others to start their own initiatives.

“The ripple effect is best,” she says. “I hate it when people just talk. That is my biggest pet peeve.”

“My late husband, Drew Rodrigue; my brother, Kevin Clabert; and my friend, Anthony Ryan Auld. These men are the epitome of strength, compassion and resiliency. They have taught me to be driven in business and to be humble in life.”

For more on Rodrigue and her work, visit thedrewrodriguefoundation.org or yatsagainstcancer.org.