A Note From Wild Alaskan Company
The core of Wild Alaskan has and always will be the pursuit and advocacy of sustainability, a tenet that echoes into every facet of our company. In truth, we have always thought of this word in regard to environmental sustainability, but it has become increasingly clear to us that it is imperative for the term to also include social sustainability, because what good is a sustainable food system without a sustainable society? How effective could ecological balance be without innate social balance? And how can we even begin to talk about living in concert with nature when humans do not live in concert with one another? At a fundamental level, we believe that in the same manner that environmental sustainability benefits the whole planet, racial justice ultimately is the benefit of all humanity.
We understand that the road to this type of holistic sustainability requires honesty, transparency and an authentic commitment to consistently manifest change. As we refocus these principles through a social lens and we re-evaluate our place within and our approach to inclusivity, we realize that introspection, reflection and listening are key. So we will continue conversations with our peers, community and team, with the objective to explore our role in not only denouncing, but actively fighting, racial injustice in the Black community. We’re dedicated to holding ourselves accountable as we continue to nurture a safe, comfortable and racially-sensitive workplace and member community. Black Lives Matter.
As we continue to build out an action plan, please see below for what we have done so far:
- Held a company-wide meeting where everyone had the opportunity to speak freely, process the current climate of change and suggest ways in how we can be a part of that positive change in this country as an organization.
- Started soliciting ideas from the team anonymously with the objective to reject any discrimination and disharmony that may arise within Wild Alaskan Company. Ideas are now being reviewed weekly by a team experience committee that handles everything from hiring, team culture, professional development to offboarding.
- Gave our teammates additional time off, so they can participate in our democracy in whichever way they choose.
- We’re amplifying Black voices relevant to our industry by seeking out Black culinary talent with whom we can partner with creatively.
- Based on feedback we received from our teammates, we’re actively vetting different ways to provide our entire team with regular diversity and inclusion training. We’ll update here with details of the program when it’s set up.
Next? If you’re interested in being a part of the discussion to help inform our action plan to support the Black Lives Matter movement, please send an email to [email protected] with your ideas and feedback, so we can continue the dialogue.