We are excited to introduce and feature Erika Hansen, Digital Community Coordinator in today’s Meet the Team.

Erika brings over seven years of experience in communications, relationship building, and sustainability to her role as Digital Community Coordinator at ResultsLab. Previously, she worked alongside Pre-K through 12th grade teams to implement on site garden-based education programs and managed partnerships between corporate employers and nonprofits to strengthen school to career STEM pipelines. She utilizes her degrees in environmental policy from Virginia Tech and Duke University to integrate a systems-based sustainability lens across projects and sectors. Erika spends her time outside of work roller-skating and transitioning her lawn into a native plant paradise.

 

Now, it’s time to hear from Erika.

 

Q: How have the roles you’ve held in the past contributed to how you work now? 

The core of my education and previous work was related to sustainability, environmental policy, and environmental education. As I became more experienced in the field, I ruminated on how interconnected our environmental and climate future is with other systems – education, poverty and economic resilience, food and agriculture, criminal justice and mass incarceration, healthcare, and more. This led me to consider that “environmental work” is not only the work done directly related to climate policy or recycling, but a broader definition and scope of “sustainability” can be applied within and between all systems. These connections led me to consider what skills and passions I can bring to the collaborative table – such as online community building, visual branding and consistency, and connecting people to information and resources – that I bring to my work as Digital Community Coordinator at ResultsLab! 

 

Q: What’s your favorite quote/mantra?

I really enjoy learning from Dean Spade and his body of work. I continue to return to this quote of his: 

“The question is: how do I be of service, in this intense time, to the best of my ability, with humility and care?” 

 

Q: What are your top 3 favorite podcasts/books/blogs to follow?

I’m a huge fan of audiobooks – three I enjoyed from 2021 were:

  • Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler.
  • The Likeness by Tana French.
  • The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan.

 

Q: What is something people in your industry/niche have to deal with that you want to fix?

Thinking back on my experience in environmental work, something that burdens folks embedded in the field is climate grief. It’s very difficult to continue to press on for an optimistic climate future when much of the data points to crisis and devastation. I think as individuals continue to more deeply connect to the core of self care, community care, and global care, we will be able to push forward climate solutions without being brought to our knees by climate grief. I believe the commitment to care and connection can apply to other social justice issues and fields as well. 

 

Q: What are your hobbies?

I started roller–skating during the pandemic, and really enjoy both the skate park and trail skating on my local greenway! It requires an immense amount of concentration and connecting to your body, so it’s a great change of pace from work, reading, and other primarily mental activities. I also enjoy listening to audiobooks, playing Colorku, and am currently working on transitioning our front yard from lawn to a native plant ecosystem! 

 

Q: Tell us something most people don’t know about you.

I am passionate about slow fashion and purchasing clothes and items secondhand from online marketplaces like Poshmark, Depop, and independent vintage or secondhand sellers. I really enjoy the hunt for the perfect piece, but rather than thrift in person, I like to do it from the comfort of my couch!

 

 

 

Thank you, Erika, for letting us pick your brain and get to know you better. Be on the lookout for our other ResultsLab teammate features in the upcoming months, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.