Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up? What’s your educational and career background?
A: I was born and raised in south Seattle between Rainier Beach and Columbia City. I matriculated through Seattle Public Schools and graduated from Franklin High School. I was always integrated into my community via programs at local community centers and organizations like Northwest Tap Connection, and later through Black Student Union at FHS. For two years, I studied business administration at Wiley College (now Wiley University), a small HBCU in Texas, while on a debate team scholarship, before transferring to Bellevue College to complete my associates in business accounting. I completed my bachelor’s degree in business administration at UW Foster School of Business, where I shifted from accounting to a dual focus in information systems and operations & supply chain management. I also completed my master’s in information systems there while working my first corporate job in technology consulting. After completing my master’s, I began working for myself, seeking a more meaningful application of my skills by uplifting my community through small business consulting. I have spent the last five years working closely with BIPOC small business owners to improve their processes and systems, managing projects and grants, and diving into the intersection of equity and technology. I’ve learned so much about what our communities are facing economically, and I want to be part of the solution.
Q: What drew you to People’s Economy Lab?
A: As a young professional, the first few years out of college can feel isolating. I felt unanchored in a new way, and I started looking for an opportunity where I could learn more about economic social justice and feel more connected to my local business ecosystem. Along my journey, I have been able to inch closer to the community work I want to do through client projects and “pro bono” services to nonprofits.
I love supporting BIPOC-owned small businesses, and that love has led me to the realization that the solution to our economic problems cannot be found in individual successes but in the dismantling of systemic barriers and the decolonization of our mindset about wealth and power. We cannot “LLC” our way out of systemic oppression, and there are levels of wealth that are just unethical.
A good friend put me in the right place to find people doing movement work, and I was able to make new connections and participate in a Community Assembly facilitated by Equitable Recovery and Reconciliation Alliance (ERRA) and supported by PEL. I found a new hope in my ability to make a difference, because I saw new possibilities for our future and how I could play a role.
Q: What most excites you about your new role?
A: When I came across this role, it truly felt like divine alignment! PEL offers a unique opportunity for me to study alternative economic models, learn more about the organizations working towards economic liberation, and to build new resources for those looking to empower communities. I am excited to bring my expertise in organizational management and technology to the team in exchange for such a great learning opportunity.
Q: What does community mean to you, and what communities do you consider yourself a part of?
A: I would not be who I am today without the unmeasurable levels of support from my communities. Community can be those that stand with you at your intersections of identity, locality, or politics. But it can also mean your family, chosen family, or church family. All of these things are true for me. My family has roots in Seattle that go back three generations, and at the center of my upbringing was my church. I have a whole community of people who have watched me grow from birth and are invested in my wellbeing. There are community groups and organizations that purposely sought out young Black girls like me to give us new opportunities, experiences, and skills. I have a huge chosen family of friends from every stage of life who pour into me and learn life lessons alongside me. I am a Black woman, a Christian, a mother/sister/aunt/cousin, a Seattleite, an artist and creative, a nerd, an ally, a systems thinker, a first-born daughter, a college grad, working class professional, a changemaker… Community can be found in all of these things.
Q: What do you envision for the future of your community?
I want to live in a world where my community isn’t displaced. Anyone who grew up in the south end can tell you how our families and friends have been pushed out to south King County due to the cost of living but still commute to Seattle for work and school. I want to see a future where we fundamentally re-engineer our relationship with the land so that we can establish generational ties to our neighborhoods and feel more connected. Gentrification really makes it hard for families to stay close, for communities to build strong ties, and for younger generations to connect to our recent history.
Q: Where is your favorite place in Washington, and why?
I have many fond memories on Lake Washington. From the Y-dock at Mt. Baker, to Seward Park, all the way south to Coulon Park, Lake Washington has always been a place of peace, reflection, connection, and inspiration. Anytime I need a place to think, I can find a parking space by the water and watch the sun set over the hill.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
I don’t have a lot of free time these days, but I love getting creative through makeup artistry, painting, and crafts with my daughter. I also love to read and bake fun treats.
