Kindred Member Spotlight: Alice Pott, Head of Partnerships at Action Button
Kindred members are today’s innovative leaders addressing some of the most pressing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. One of the benefits of membership is access to this community to collaborate on impact-driven initiatives, share ideas and resources, and provide support as leaders drive change within their organizations and navigate the evolving ESG landscape. In the spirit of community and collaboration, we are highlighting Kindred members making a difference through their work.
Alice Pott is the Head of Partnerships at Action Button, an organization that brings together brands, nonprofits, and media outlets to empower people to take action on the issues that matter to them. Previously, Pott worked at Universal McCann and IPG agencies in communications strategy and has published Cognitive Behavioral Psychology research around decision-making and happiness.
On October 28, Pott will lead a member-exclusive Kindred Connect and share expert knowledge on how to engage your stakeholders meaningfully (Kindred members can register here). Connect provides curated opportunities for members to connect and learn from each other in a small group setting. Below, she shares more about her work, her mission, and what she hopes to learn from fellow members.
Kindred: Tell us about you, your work, and your mission.
Alice Pott: I’m a Brit living abroad, and I’ve recently decided to become a “digital nomad,” splitting my time between LA and NY— so any of your tips for LA and California are very welcome. My background is in Psychology and Media, and I’m passionate about bringing together brand, agency, media, and nonprofit partners to create meaningful change. At Action Button, our mission is to make taking action easier for people in moments of inspiration. For example, when you’re reading an article about an issue you care about, you can take an action there and then without leaving the page, such as becoming more educated on that issue or saying how you feel about it, emailing Congress to make your voice heard, or donating or signing up to local volunteering opportunities.
K: What’s something you know so well that you could teach anyone?
A: From my background, I would say I have a lot of insight into how to communicate with people in an authentic way to build a sense of trust and partnership, whether that’s on a personal level or through marketing communications.
I also know all the words to Terminator 2, so I can help us in the war against the machines. And finally, I often share a yoga routine that I do in the mornings to stretch out and get into the right mindset for the day. It’s only seven minutes long, so it’s very manageable!
K: What’s one thing you want to learn from others in the Kindred community?
A: I’d love to know how the community approaches challenging the “status quo.” How do you make positive change and evolution a consistent part of your personal and professional life? And how do you keep challenging the status quo when you face roadblocks or pushback?
K: What’s the most impactful project you’ve had a chance to work on?
A: There are a lot of projects that I feel proud to be a part of since I’ve joined Action Button and Kindred — from something as simple as making electric vehicles more accessible to giving people a voice and ways to take action during times of intense emotions, such as directly after the George Floyd murder or during the peaks of COVID.
But I think the most impactful project is the one that provided people with the basic right of their vote in last year’s very unique election where people faced all kinds of voting challenges, especially in communities of color. We were grateful to join the Fashion our Future initiative that brought together nonprofits like Voto Latino and fashion brands like Virgil Abloh’s Off-White to mobilize 1 million voters in the build-up to the election and get people prepared to vote early or vote from home. That partnership was bringing together fashion houses, publishers, and influencers, who were all able to put their competitive differences aside for this common goal. I’d love to work on more truly collaborative projects like this.
K: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in your career?
A: Someone once told me, “you are the average of the people you surround yourself with.” We spend so much of our lives at work that we need to make sure we’re spending time with people who inspire us, challenge us, and bring us joy and laughter. That’s why I love meeting Kindred members and being a part of this inspiring community of change-makers!
Kindred members can learn more from Alice Pott or reach out to her directly via the member portal.
