"We each had skills that balanced each other well—all felt strongly about contributing to positive change and making an impact through communications.”
This sentence sums up the founding of rootid. But since storytelling and providing the details is what we do…here you go!
were we always this intentional? Andrew
It depends who you speak to :) Early in any adventure you have a plan, but that plan quickly goes out the window as soon as you start the journey. As with any adventure, it’s more about the experience than the destination. I think that our ability to learn from mistakes, stay positive in the face of challenges and the generosity of a lot of people in our network has been a major factor in getting to year 11.
Jason
LOL, Val would probably say yes, but I still remember taking some clients that were pretty far outside of our mission. Maybe not directly opposing our values, but certainly not anything you would put in a mission statement.
what makes rootid unique? Andrew
Our process. We believe that equitable processes lead to equitable outcomes. Over the last 5 years we’ve completely rebuilt our services to center on the Design Justice Principles and the Liberatory Design process. Rather than designing experiences, brands, campaigns and websites based on our internal assumptions we recognize that design is full of power dynamics. So it's important to seek input from those most marginalized— to center their needs first.
Jason
We passionately believe in our values, and are eager to help others with work that can actually have an impact on the world. We have a fairly clear vision for the types of change we want to see in the world and rootid essentially exists to make that change. We made a choice to work specifically with nonprofits and to put values first; even before sustainability—but it worked out.
where is rootid headed? Andrew
Eleven years into it, I’ve never been more excited about where rootid is headed. We’ve taken the last 2 years to clarify who we are and what we stand for—in hopes of transitioning into a worker-owned business within the next 2-3 years. We’re also building a membership community where nonprofits can learn with and from one another, while also attending regular workshops, one-on-one coaching sessions and community events with subject matter experts to help build their communications capabilities. We will continue to provide nonprofits brand development, user experiences and custom web technology solutions that further nonprofits’ missions while centering the voices of those in their communities.
happy asian pacific islander heritage month
Marking the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States; and the completion of the transcontinental railroad, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month takes place in May.
The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in the US includes over 24 million individuals and is expected to double to over 47 million by 2060. Although many organizations have developed themes for this month of celebration, the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) announced that this year's AAPI Heritage Month theme would be "Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration." I
n celebration of this month, Rootid has compiled a list of books and podcasts featuring AAPI voices and viewpoints - Enjoy!
How can rootid help you follow through on your commitments to equity?
What communications based topics are you interested in learning more about?
Send us an email...hello(AT)rootid.com.
we are rooted in community.
In partnership, we co-design necessary spaces for strategic thinking, sustainability & growth—using communications & technology as vehicles to advance equity.
We join with others, envisioning a world where those most impacted are prioritized & communications & technology are used to heal & empower rather than divide. Learn more about our team.
Interested in supporting our community engagement work? rootid now has a fiscally sponsored project with the Rose Foundation.
