What it Means to be Part of a Family with a Purpose

Once upon a time, on a rooftop in Colombia (where I’m from), on a hot and humid night when the tropical wind whipped hairdos into chaos and the moon wore a ceremonious glow, I marched down the aisle, arm gleefully hooked onto my husband Arron (our founder + CEO), when I could have never imagined the great responsibility — way beyond the world of our marriage — for which I was about to sign up. 

Of course, I knew that Arron was a proud Alaskan (on our second date we were already toasting to summers there forever) — but what I could have never known was that the shape of our love and the experience of our connection would become vast enough to accommodate all of Alaska, enough to bring in the whole spirit of the place, its incredible people, and the great legacies that weave the fabric of this glorious state together. 

The truth is that when I married Arron, I also married Alaska. And in the Kallenberg family, the heart of this relationship is the ethos of conservation and deep respect for wild Alaskan seafood and its iconic industry in Alaska — a love that began with the sockeye salmon of Bristol Bay that has pumped three generations of Kallenbergs with a profound sense of purpose.

When I said I do on that bright and balmy night, I was saying yes to my wonderful partner, but I was also saying yes to becoming an advocate for Alaska, and for the monumental work that the state has done and continues to do, which has earned it its reputation as the gold standard for sustainable seafood practices. I was saying yes to joining a family with a purpose — a mandate, as Arron would say it, to always trust the fish and to actively respect the natural cycles in which they thrive. 

I carry the responsibility of this stewardship with great honor and pride, and this driving sense of purpose adds yet another dimension to mine and Arron’s special bond. 

Live wild...and nourish your purpose!

Monica