Get to know the Funga crew with this newest installment of our "Meet the Team" series. Come back monthly to meet more team members, hear about their journey to Funga, and understand their vital role in our community.
We’re big fans of the “Today I get to….” mentality. So, what do you get to do every day at Funga?
As Funga’s Operations Manager, I’m part of Team Ops—which is essentially a catch-all for keeping the lights on and our employees happy! I get to write anniversary letters to celebrate our team’s Funga-versaries, plan company offsites, onboard new employees, and implement new business software. I circulate lease agreements with landowners, liaise with our insurance broker, assist with employee performance reviews, register and lead training for our fleet vehicles, review team expenses to ensure they align with our budgets, and write team policies and SOPs. Additionally, I’m a part of our Social Committee and GHG Committee, and I make sure our office space feels like home (it literally is a converted house!). Basically, I have 34 (very neatly organized) tabs open at all times.
If you had to explain what Funga does to a third grader, what would you say?
Have you ever sat under a tree and looked up? Did you notice all those branches and leaves spreading out in every direction? Now, did you ever wonder what that tree looks like in the ground under your butt? It almost looks like the same thing, but bald! Until you look really really closely at the roots and realize the tree has buddies hanging on to its roots called mycelium. These buddies help the tree gain access to all the nutrients they need to grow big and strong. It’s important to have big and strong trees because they clean the air for us, serve as homes for our animal and bug friends, and provide shade so we can continue to enjoy sitting under them. Our team at Funga works really hard to find the right group of buddies to add back to the dirt so these trees can get the nutrients they need to be big and strong.
Tell us a little bit about your life. How did it lead you to Funga?
You can say I’ve had my hands in the dirt for a while now. From making mud pies as a kid, to managing a nationwide mud run and obstacle course event series for kids, to working at Funga.
Most of my professional career has been in the event and experiential marketing industry, but that all changed when COVID made it impossible for people to gather. The entire industry came to a halt, so I planned a 3-month trip across the West, exploring the forests in my Jeep Wrangler-turned-tiny-home sleeping under the stars almost every night. After that, I went to Yalcobá, Mexico where I worked to strengthen the resilience of Mayan communities and conserve cultural heritage through meliponiculture, agroforestry, and agroecology. Someone trusted me with a machete!
When I returned to the States, I worked for a couple of consumer product start-ups as a Customer Experience Associate understanding customer needs, building a brand voice, sharing product knowledge, and assisting with orders. But this role and industry didn’t feel quite right for me. Although the intention of these brands was to create better products that are kinder to the planet, I truly felt like the world just doesn’t need more material products. I knew I needed to pivot to a new industry.
I prioritized using my love for nature and people, along with my planning skills, by starting a project management certificate and volunteering with the Forest Preserve District in Illinois.
Funga enters stage right.
Funga’s bright and bold logo caught my eye on LinkedIn. I scoped out their website, clicked through the employee profiles, saw they were hiring, and applied immediately. I believe the combination of all these life experiences has led me here, planting me right where I’m supposed to be.
What is your favorite part of the job?
We have such a wonderful team of genuine, grounded people; which is not surprising when you work with a bunch of fungi-lovin’ scientists and tree fanatics that want to save the planet! That said, my favorite part of my job is the people I work with. Because I recognize the importance of cultivating and maintaining this uplifting workplace culture, my favorite function within my role is onboarding new team members and creating a welcoming environment where folks feel supported from day one. I take pride in using my joyful and warm demeanor to ensure that every new hire feels at ease as they begin their journey with us. As our former ‘Chief of Stuff’ Anthony says, “onboarding is like drinking from a fire hose,” and my goal is to turn down the PSI.
What is one workflow/productivity tool or trick that you can’t live without?
3 hard boiled eggs. Black coffee. IN THAT ORDER.
What trivia round would you know every answer to?
Honestly, I’m horrible at trivia but I’m a great cheerleader. In true Ops fashion, I’d help pick the team name, write down our answers, order beers, and be of moral support.
Can you share a favorite memory of/with the Funga team?
At our company-wide offsite in Austin, TX, we rented the whole Blazer Tag facility for an epic battle royale. We picked our warrior names and played two rounds of laser tag in this multi-level, blacklight, sweaty arena. And let me tell you, people brought their A-Game! The strategy talks, screams, and giggles will be forever etched in my memory.
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