Social Impact Heroes Helping Our Planet: Why & How Julie Kuchepatov of Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Penny Bauder
You don’t need to say yes to every opportunity. International Women’s Day is March 8th and it’s been my experience that businesses wait until the last minute to craft tributes to women to share on this day. Last March 8th, I was approached by eight or nine businesses to write something in collaboration to celebrate this day. I didn’t say no and this flurry of activity around writing poignant accounts of the contributions and value of women in seafood almost killed me. I learned my lesson and now try to be very intentional and selective with my time and commitments.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Julie Kuchepatov.
Julie Kuchepatov is a proven thought leader in two global movements: sustainable seafood and fair trade. She has spent her career working directly with a variety of people in every step along seafood supply chains to address some of the most pressing environmental and social challenges in global seafood production. As the Founder of Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE), Julie is building a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive seafood industry and sustainable seafood movement.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up in the great Pacific Northwest, in Portland, Oregon, where I had the benefit of growing up in close proximity to Oregon’s incredible nature with gorgeous forests and rivers, the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River Gorge, and Mt. Hood. I grew up with a passion for languages and I started taking Russian while still in high school, ultimately receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Languages. I put myself through college working at restaurants in Portland, which led to an opportunity to meld my two passions: hospitality and the Russian language, when I went to work at an Atlantic salmon fly fishing lodge in the Russian Arctic. It was there that the seeds for my future work in fisheries and conservation were planted.
You are currently leading a social impact organization that is making a difference for our planet. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
Globally, 50% of people involved in global seafood production are women, but few women occupy leadership positions in the sector and seldom participate in critical discussions and decision-making about precious fisheries resources. I founded Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) in 2020 to address a critical need for gender equality in the seafood sector, build women’s empowerment, and encourage the industry to evolve into a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable career choice for people of all genders. SAGE is driven by the question, “What if we can solve some of the greatest challenges facing our ocean (like climate change, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, social injustice, and environmental degradation) that also disproportionately affect women, by supporting gender equality efforts and building women’s empowerment both in the industry and on the ground?” The seafood sector has experienced an unprecedented level of disruption due to the global pandemic and decisions are being made in real time about the industry’s future. To bounce back better, we must carve out a space to encourage diverse and underrepresented voices to participate in the development of equitable solutions, based on the best data we can possibly gather. We must collectively and collaboratively move towards a future where enthusiastic and qualified leaders of all genders are ready, valued, and recognized to lead the seafood industry into a bright, post-Covid-19 future.
SAGE envisions an inclusive seafood industry that embraces gender equality and empowers women, leading to an abundant supply of environmentally and socially responsible seafood for future generations. We can achieve this by educating the sector about the challenges, building capacity and community, and supporting the seafood sector to mainstream gender into their day-to-day activities. We recently launched the Conch Podcast as a platform to amplify the voices of inspiring women in the world of seafood.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
I’ve dedicated the majority of my career working to improve the environmental sustainability and social responsibility of global fisheries with much of my focus on wild salmon across the Pacific Rim, and more specifically, in Russia. Russian salmon is often processed in China and, once, I had the opportunity to travel to Xingdao, China to visit a fish processing facility. At the facility, they had a “candling room.” Typically, candling is a process of shining a bright light into an egg to look at the contents, but in seafood processing, candling serves a different purpose. In the candling room, two women stood opposite each other at a table in the dark and shone a special light on the fish to find any harmless parasites and removed them with small tweezers. I never forgot these women, standing in the dark, plucking parasites out of hundreds of fish. I founded Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) to illuminate the hidden women behind our seafood because seafood will never be sustainable if we don’t account for 50% of the people involved in its production.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
In April 2020, early in the Covid-19 pandemic, I was let go from my position as the Seafood Director at a large nonprofit. I took some time to think about how I could continue to provide value to the industry that has given me so much over the years. I had been thinking about gender equality in global seafood production for a long time and decided that it was time to branch out on my own and put my skills to use to increase women’s power and influence and build gender equality in the seafood sector. I had also read a statistic that floored me: it takes, on average, 10 months for a person over 50, like me, to find a job. And this statistic was applicable in non-pandemic times, so that really scared me. I thought I would have more of a chance to succeed at building something and financing it, than finding a job at an existing organization, which turned out to be the case. Essentially, SAGE was born out of necessity — a necessity for me to build my own path and continue to advance efforts to protect people’s livelihoods and responsible use of our ocean’s resources.
Many people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. But you did. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
The first thing I did was consult with some trusted peers and colleagues, as well as my family, to explore the merit of my idea. I’m a big believer in manifestation, so I also put out a call to the universe to show me some signs and assure me that I’m on the right path (I mentioned I was scared, right?). I got some great signs back, including one in the form of an announcement for a ten million dollar challenge to build women’s power and influence in key U.S. sectors. I decided to go for it.
To sign up for the challenge, I had to either establish a nonprofit as a 501c3 or become a fiscally sponsored project of an existing nonprofit with 501c3 status. I chose the latter and, thankfully, my friend, the Executive Director of a nonprofit called Coastal Quest, brought SAGE on as a fiscally sponsored project, which allowed me to participate in the challenge. While I made it to the second round of the challenge, I ultimately didn’t win, so another critical step was to secure funding to do some work and build SAGE’s proof of concept. I am fortunate that several funders invested in the developmental stages of SAGE, which helped me grow SAGE into a full-fledged initiative.
Another key piece of work was to develop SAGE’s Theory of Change (ToC). A ToC is a comprehensive document that is the ultimate road map detailing the strategies and activities that SAGE will implement to achieve the impact we hope to generate. Of course there were nine million other things I did (and still need to do), but these steps were critical to the launch of SAGE.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
During the development of SAGE’s Theory of Change, we defined where we would focus our efforts in the seafood supply chain — at the source where fish are harvested and processed or at the industry level, where the buying and selling of seafood happens, or somewhere in between. We decided to focus on the industry level because we believe that more women in leadership roles l will bring greater innovation and creative solutions to addressing the challenges facing our ocean. Since articulating that vision, I have received countless emails from women working in the industry — one note even came from Turkey! These women have shared with me their stories and challenges as a woman in the predominantly male industry and each has said that just the fact that SAGE exists gives them reason for hope that this industry will evolve to become more diverse, inclusive, and equitable.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or take away you learned from that?
I don’t think this is necessarily funny or even a mistake, but I laugh to myself when I think about how naive I was going into the application process for the ten million dollar challenge. I had never founded an organization, nor been an Executive Director, but I was convinced my application had merit and poured everything I had into it. As I mentioned, I made it to round two, which is an accomplishment itself, and while I didn’t win the ten million dollars, I gained so much more. The application process itself was extremely rigorous and the framework and discipline required to complete the application allowed me to create SAGE from thin air. I am now certain that had I won the challenge, SAGE would look a lot different today and I would have struggled with the large influx of funding. In fact, losing the challenge is a blessing, as I am able to build SAGE strategically, thoughtfully, and organically, as opposed to a frantically strewn-together mess, which could have been a real possibility.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
I had so many amazing, talented, and thoughtful people cheer me on and provide guidance and support throughout the development of SAGE. Two women come to mind: Linda Cornish and Dr. Meryl Williams.
Linda is the Founder and President of Seafood Nutrition Partnership, a nonprofit working to inspire a healthier America through partnerships and outreach that raises awareness about the essential nutritional benefits of eating seafood. Linda gave me really great advice during the developmental stage of SAGE. It was incredible to be able to tap into the experience of another nonprofit founder in the seafood space, and she shared a lot of great insight specifically into how to navigate discussions with the industry’s gatekeepers.
Dr. Meryl Williams has worked for 40 years in Australian and international fisheries, aquaculture, aquatic resource conservation, and agricultural research and development. Dr. Williams was one of the first people I reached out to and was so generous with her limited time. I am very thankful that the amazing community of gender researchers and experts in fisheries and aquaculture have embraced me and my efforts with SAGE.
Are there three things the community, society, or politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
First, people should recognize they have great power as consumers and can wield that power to bring significant changes to our food systems through their purchases. In terms of seafood, people should ask about the provenance of seafood from where they’re buying it from, either at a grocery store or at a restaurant. The person selling you seafood should be able to tell you where it’s from, how it was harvested, and place of harvest. This is the bare minimum that seafood sellers should be able to tell you.
Second, people should ask about the people behind their seafood. WHO harvested this seafood? We know that 50% of people in seafood production are women, so it’s extremely likely a woman played a role in bringing this fish to your table. If we, consumers, start asking these questions more consistently, the less chance we will be eating seafood harvested by fishermen or processed by women in conditions that violate their human rights.
Third, the seafood industry must address the systemic barriers to gender equality and lack of women in leadership at the industry level. At last count, there are four women CEOs out of 100 seafood companies and this is simply unacceptable.
How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?
This is a tricky question to answer as there is no one unifying definition of “sustainable.” At SAGE, we believe that gender equality and sustainability go hand-in-hand and to achieve true sustainability, we must value, acknowledge, and recognize the invaluable contributions, skills, knowledge, and leadership of women. There is countless research confirming that women in leadership bring more innovation and diverse solutions, which lead to a better bottom line. Recent research concluded that a 1% increase in the number of women managers leads to a 0.5% decrease in firm-level CO2 emissions. In short, a business will be more sustainable by increasing the number of women in leadership, which will, in turn, increase its profitability.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- You don’t need to say yes to every opportunity. International Women’s Day is March 8th and it’s been my experience that businesses wait until the last minute to craft tributes to women to share on this day. Last March 8th, I was approached by eight or nine businesses to write something in collaboration to celebrate this day. I didn’t say no and this flurry of activity around writing poignant accounts of the contributions and value of women in seafood almost killed me. I learned my lesson and now try to be very intentional and selective with my time and commitments.
- Not everyone will like your idea. It is difficult for me to understand why some people might not like the idea of empowering women to claim leadership roles in the seafood sector, but it is true. People are averse to change and when that change threatens the status quo, people like it even less. I wish I didn’t spend a lot of time worrying about how to convert those who do not agree with our efforts and decide early on to accept that some people just won’t like it. At SAGE, our aim is not conversion to our cause, but to support those who are willing to come on this journey with us.
- Taxes are crazy! I didn’t have a good enough grasp on the financial implications of starting my own effort when I launched SAGE, but am now more informed about just how much money it costs to start and run a business.
- Creating systems change is HARD! I knew this going in, but it would have been good to have this reinforced with me prior to launching SAGE. A piece of advice about actually HOW to create systems change would have been appreciated, including solutions to questions like, “How do you engage people that are directly benefiting from the current system?” As mentioned above, our aim is not conversion to our cause, but we do need to engage with the men who benefit from the current system and advice on how to do this without alienating anyone would have been appreciated.
- People who benefit from a system are often unaware how that system also oppresses them. When asked about gender inequality in the seafood industry, some women have said, “I’ve never experienced anything horrible because of my gender in this industry; in fact, I’ve been very supported.” That might be true, but inequality doesn’t always manifest itself as personal affronts or sexual attacks. We are talking about systems that are designed to elevate men (more specifically white men) and the seafood industry operates within such a system. In order to steer away from a discussion about individual experiences and focus on the system that creates a culture of inequality, I ask my guests on the Conch Podcast to think about one or two aspects of the seafood industry and its culture that may contribute to inequality of the sector.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Young people are our future and their activism against outdated and dangerous policies, e.g., anything related to climate change denial that harms people and our planet, really makes a difference. I would tell them to continue what they are doing and don’t give up, even in the face of oppressive tactics designed to thwart their efforts. They CAN and DO make a difference. They must keep going as the future of our planet depends on it.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I recently heard someone say that asking for favors builds community and it made so much sense. When you ask someone to help you or lend you something, it turns out they will help you more in the future. Then, of course, you give back and this is how you build a community around caring and sharing. As the founder of a lean start-up, I have asked for advice, help, assurance, and discounts and countless people have been more than generous with their time and resources. They are investing in me and in SAGE as a movement to build a more equitable, diverse, and innovative seafood sector that benefits people of all genders. In short, we are building a community through mutual support.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I would love to have a meal with Arundhati Roy, a political activist and author fighting for human rights and environmental causes. Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, she wrote an account of what India, and the world, should do and this had a big influence on why I took the plunge and founded SAGE. In “The Pandemic is a Portal,” Roy challenges us to rethink our lives and our future, which is something pandemics have forced us to do in the past. She writes that the pandemic “is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.” She made me think about how I can remain in the sustainable seafood movement and continue to bring value to this industry. I came to realize that due to the global crises we are facing, the COVID-19 pandemic, the reckoning that Black Lives Matter in the U.S. and abroad has brought, and global climate change — the status quo is no longer an option. We are spurred into another evolution, and this evolution must put women front and center.
How can our readers follow you online?
Our website is seafoodandgenderequality.org. You can find us on social media on Instagram @seafood_and_gender_equality and on Twitter @sdg5forseafood. Our podcast, The Conch, can be found on our website, as well as your favorite streaming platform.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About the author: Penny is an environmental scientist-turned-entrepreneur. She’s worked as a climate scientist, an environmental planner, and a wilderness park ranger. Motivated by a passion to raise a generation of environmental leaders, in 2010 Penny founded Green Kid Crafts, a children’s media company that provides kids around the world with convenient and eco-friendly STEAM activities. Today, it’s become a leader in the subscription industry, with over 1 million packages shipped worldwide that have exposed a generation to think about and take a leadership role in sustainability. Penny, her husband Jeff, and her children Rowan and Declan live together in San Diego, California. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Management and an M.S. in Environmental Science. Penny has over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, management, strategy and finance. She’s a seasoned leader, an inspiring speaker, an encouraging business mentor, and a creative writer. You can learn more about Green Kid Crafts at https://www.greenkidcrafts.com/ and follow Penny’s stories and updates at https://www.instagram.com/greenkidcrafts/ and https://twitter.com/bauderpenny.
Social Impact Heroes Helping Our Planet: Why & How Julie Kuchepatov of Seafood and Gender Equality… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.