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we believe
SEE A NEED, FILL A NEED!
At Atomic Hope, we believe preservation begins with understanding, and history comes alive when we connect with the places and people that shaped our shared story. We work at the intersection of heritage stewardship, education, and imagination. Where award-winning storytelling meets 25 years of federal preservation expertise, we honor the voices that built America's Secret City. Whether we’re guiding organizations through the complexities of preservation compliance, delivering a keynote that reframes history as a leadership tool, or inviting families and classrooms into the past through our books and experiences, our work makes history useful, human, and alive. From the boardroom to the classroom, we draw inspiration from Oak Ridge’s founding principle, All Together One Mission, to help institutions protect irreplaceable places, help leaders think differently about impact, and help children see themselves as part of something bigger. This is history not as nostalgia, but as a modern solution.
Not just something to remember, but something to steward forward. If you’re here to hire a consultant or speaker, partner in education, or discover stories that spark curiosity in young minds, you’re in the right place.
Meet our founder, KATATRA VASQUEZ
Author/ Founder/Scientist/Curator/Historian/Mom
“Everyone has a history. What you do with it is up to you. Some repeat it. Some learn from it. The really special ones use it to help others.”
— John Mark Green
Atomic Hope LLC was born at the intersection of place, purpose, and possibility.
As a historian and preservation professional, my work has long centered on how history is documented, considered, and carried forward, especially in places shaped by innovation, industry, and federal decision-making. When my family moved to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, America’s Secret City, that professional lens was met with something deeply personal.
Like many families new to Oak Ridge, we began by exploring its museums, historic sites, and stories, drawn to its extraordinary legacy as a global center of science, innovation, and world-changing discovery. I expected curiosity and inspiration from my children as we explored.
Instead, I witnessed disconnection and confusion from my STEM-loving children.
They expressed that in many of the places we visited, they rarely saw people who looked like them reflected in the story of the city. When they did, the narratives focused almost entirely on struggle, rarely on ingenuity, contribution, or possibility. Rather than feeling connected to the place they now called home, they felt distanced from it.
That moment clarified something I had already sensed through my professional work.
As a preservation professional, I understood the systems, the laws, the compliance processes, and the frameworks that guide how history is evaluated and considered. As a mother and community member, I felt a deeper responsibility to ensure that place-based history fosters connection, belonging, and understanding, not silence or separation.
So I set out to bridge the gap.
Not just for my children, but for other children who may have felt the same, and for organizations navigating preservation responsibly, educators seeking meaningful ways to teach history, and families and communities longing to see themselves reflected in the American story.
Today, my work lives at the crossroads of heritage stewardship and storytelling, guiding institutions through the red tape of preservation compliance while rolling out the red carpet through immersive historical interpretation, books, tours, and experiences that bring history to life. From the boardroom to the classroom, I help people connect story to place.
My mission is to uncover overlooked stories, elevate forgotten voices, and reconnect them to the places where history actually happened so people of all ages, especially children, can see themselves reflected in our shared American story. When individuals connect to both story and place, history becomes more than information. It becomes something they carry forward with purpose.
Katatra
MEDIA KIT
FOOTSTEPS TO FREEDOM: JOURNEY OF HOPE SELF-GUIDED EXPERIENCE
Explore a former slave market, an Underground Railroad path, a historic burial ground, and more. Discover the powerful legacy of African Americans whose resilience helped shape America's Secret City long before the Manhattan Project began. Whether it be the Eighth of August, Juneteenth, or any day in between in remembrance and jubilee, let's honor those who came before us so they will not be lost in history.
EXCITING NEW BOOK ALERT!
Making A Little Red Wagon
We’re thrilled to announce the release of Making A Little Red Wagon, the latest children’s book by award-winning author Katatra Vasquez! Making a Little Red Wagon is a heartwarming and adventurous story that shows kids the power of teamwork, problem-solving, and imagination. Inspired by real history, this engaging tale encourages children to see how their unique skills can help build something bigger than themselves to help others.
Kid Approved Reviews!
I Am Brave Like Josie Workshop
See A Need, Fill A Need: An Author's Journey
Leading With Hope: History, STEM and YOU
"My favorite part was when they moved to Oak Ridge"
Leading With Hope: History, STEM and YOU
See A Need, Fill A Need: An Author's Journey
Leading With Hope: History, STEM and YOU
"A new technology for us that could help R.L. Ayers is an app..."
See A Need, Fill A Need: An Author's Journey
See A Need, Fill A Need: An Author's Journey
See A Need, Fill A Need: An Author's Journey
"Thank you for coming to read with us you are my favorite author, my favorite book is Josie's Hope, it's the best book ever..."
NHPA Section 106 compliance consulting
If your project involves federal land, funding, or permits, compliance with Section 106 isn't optional—it’s critical. For most project teams, the historic preservation process feels like a "black box" of 30-day clock that can stall your progress for months. Let us put you on the Fast Path.
SIGNITURE KEYNOTES
All Together, One Mission (A.T.O.M)
How History, Place, and Purpose Shape the Future
What can a “Secret City” teach today’s leaders about navigating complexity and aligning teams around a shared mission? In this high-impact keynote, Atomic Hope founder Katara Vasquez draws on the legacy of the Manhattan Project and it’s Oak Ridge, Tennessee headquarters to explore how history, place, and purpose can power modern leadership and organizational culture. Participants will gain practical insights through the A.T.O.M. Framework and real-world case studies on collaboration, culture, and mission-critical decision-making.
Ideal for: Government, corporate, nonprofit, and research leadership.
Format: Adult audiences | 30 minutes
The Power of Hope: History’s Unseen Connections
A Deep Dive into the Soul of the Manhattan Project
This compelling presentation uncovers the often-overlooked contributions of African Americans to the Manhattan Project during World War II. Blending personal narrative with rigorous historical context, Atomic Hope founder Katara Vasquez explores how hope functioned as a unifying force—transcending racial and cultural barriers during one of the most complex moments in American history. Attendees will gain insight into inclusive historical storytelling and practical strategies for fostering unity through shared understanding.
Ideal for: Corporate groups, universities, and professional associations
Format: Adult audiences | 30 minutes
Welcome? Why Representation in Our American Spaces Matters
Understanding the Link Between Historical Narratives and Belonging
Why does seeing ourselves reflected in history change how we experience the places we live? In this thought-provoking session, Atomic Hope founder Katara Vasquez shares her journey through Oak Ridge, Tennessee, America’s Secret City, to reveal how the Atomic Age was shaped by voices long left out of the story. The session explores why inclusive historical representation in public spaces matters and how it strengthens community connection and civic identity.
Ideal for: Tourism boards, historical societies, museums, and civic leaders
Format: Adult audiences | 20 minutes
Hidden Histories: The Stories That Shaped a Secret City
Exploring the overlooked narratives that shaped Oak Ridge and the American story
This engaging presentation explores the hidden histories of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, revealing the often-unseen Black and White stories that shaped America’s Secret City long before and during the Manhattan Project. Drawing from primary and secondary sources, personal narrative, and public history practice, Atomic Hope founder Katara Vasquez examines how suppressed histories influence community identity, belonging, and civic memory. The session challenges audiences to rethink whose stories are told, why they matter, and how inclusive history can inform a more complete and hopeful future.
Ideal for: Universities, civic organizations, and lifelong learning programs
Format: Adult audiences | 30 minutes
SEE A NEED, FILL A NEED: A MOM’S JOURNEY FROM SCIENTIST TO AUTHOR
This talk focuses on one mother’s realization that important stories were missing from the history her children were learning. Katatra Vasquez shares her journey from scientist to children’s author, driven by the discovery that African American contributions to Oak Ridge’s Manhattan Project were often absent from educational narratives. She highlights how motherhood sharpened her awareness of these gaps and inspired her to create books and experiences that make complex history accessible to young audiences. Her work demonstrates how seeing a need and choosing to fill it can lead to meaningful impact, preserving overlooked stories while inspiring the next generation.
Ideal for: Mothers groups, entrepreneurial networks, nonprofits, libraries, and family education programs
Format: Adult and family audiences | 20 minutes