Krysten's Reflections

Krysten Leigh Jones, LT'25, Senior Corporate Communications Specialist, Premera Blue Cross

When I think about our Basic Needs Possibility Day, many things come to mind. For the sake of smart brevity, I’ll focus on a couple things that struck me. As I sat in my chair listening to fellow colleagues and guest panelists, I reflected on how my identity and upbringing shaped my idea of basic needs. 

In case you didn’t notice, I am a Black woman. What you may not know about me: I’m a west coast Black woman who was raised in an all-Black, working-class neighborhood. Before my brother and I were born, my parents left Pennsylvania for better opportunities. My parents were very intentional of where our roots were placed. Inglewood, California is where my parents purchased their first home in the early 80s. Interest rates were extremely high during that time, but they still made it happen. They immersed us in our Black community and pushed the importance of recycling Black dollars. As a youngster, I remember my father fixing up that house with his bare hands after scraping together every penny he had. He was focused on making the house a home for his family. 

Houses, neighborhoods, schools, and friends constantly changed throughout my upbringing. This was due to my mother’s instability. One thing’s for sure, my father never steered away from providing a roof over our heads and showing his love through exhaustion. Through the trauma, pain, and hardships happening behind the closed doors of my childhood homes, I still had this idea that I grew up privileged. I felt privileged in the sense of always having access to basic needs like clean water, safety, food, shelter, and education. The sad part about all this? Basic needs should never be considered a privilege or something based on transactional relationships. All human beings require basic needs to survive AND thrive. 

“We choose the world we live in.” Hearing this statement from the Amazon panelist was a stark reminder that my journey and lens are opposite of his as a white man. Of course, this is nothing new for me to hear. However, it certainly inspired me to start thinking about how I could and would better serve my people and the wider community in corporate social responsibility. Oof. Hearing “corporate” and “social responsibility” is a tough one for me. It’s just not an organic pairing. So, the question I ask myself: how do I use the system against itself to take back what’s owed?

Eric's Reflections

Eric Soderlund, LT'25, Maritime Operations Manager, Port of Seattle

During this Possibility Day, we explored strategies to overcome barriers to meeting basic needs, addressing a fundamental hurdle on the path to building healthy communities. 

The Leadership Studio was a highlight for me. I was inspired and fascinated by the panelists’ different approaches and strategies to addressing our communities’ basic needs. Two strategies particularly resonated with me. 

First, Josh Hirschland, who leads Amazon's Community Delivery program, described leveraging the scale of the company's delivery capacity, emphasizing that civic responsibility comes with corporate scale. He illustrated this by explaining how Amazon collaborates with food security nonprofits to support and expand food deliveries. 

Second, Sara Seelmeyer, Associate Director for Ending Hunger at the United Way of King County, urged us to prioritize action over perfection, reminding us, “Do not let perfect be the enemy of good.” Echoing this sentiment, Meghin Margel, LT’18, President of the Kent School District Board of Directors, shared a story about facing criticism despite achieving positive change. After successfully enrolling 45 of 47 schools in a free lunch program, some community members focused on the two schools initially left out. She cautioned that even impactful solutions can still face criticism. (The remaining two schools were included the following year.)

During the Leadership Studio's closing remarks, Josh Hirschland emphasized the importance of analyzing and optimizing processes for success. Meghin Margel then offered a contrasting perspective, playfully disagreeing with him. "Josh," she said, "I love what you accomplish, but I completely disagree. Focusing on people and actively listening to the diverse voices within the community we serve is key to success." 

This exchange highlighted a key takeaway: there is no single path to overcoming the obstacles to meeting basic needs. Instead, success comes from using a diverse toolkit of skills, tactics, and strategies, applied creatively.