Kristen Jarvis-West spoke to us about leadership in the White House when she was First Lady Michelle Obama's "Chief of Stuff." She is now an executive at Airbnb. Here is our reaction to her dynamic talk.
"Wow, I’m going to try not to fangirl the entire time that I am responding about
Kristen Jarvis-West.... Something she said was how important and amazing it was that she had strong women in her corner. This reminds me oddly of the on ramps and off ramps article we read. It makes me think about how many more women wouldn’t have to take an off ramp if they had the support of other strong women in their corner." Elisabeth Schumm
"Her comments about having confidence in yourself and the work you do brought me back to the article “Women and the Labyrinth of
Leadership” and the idea of “double binds.” The article described how women in leadership face a conflict "if they are highly communal, they maybe criticized for not being agentic enough. But if they are highly agentic, they may be criticized for lacking communion.”
Kristen spoke against this and reminded us that we are capable of doing anything we set our minds to, and if we weren’t, we wouldn’t be there." Kylee Seaver
“When asked about what it meant to be more confident in who you are as a leader, Mrs. Jarvis-West said to always walk into a room knowing the answers to questions they haven't even asked yet. This stuck with me because I often tend to become so hyper-fixated on what I am presenting, and I forget to think of possible answers to the questions that I know will be asked.” - Samantha Lawless
"She went into extensive detail accounting the political and corporate world’s hunger for uncertainty and insecurity. In order to prevent getting “eaten alive” by this domineering disposition, a woman must be assertive, confident and unapologetic in her actions. As I become more deeply immersed in my major, this is a lesson that I will be implementing every step of the way." Julia Galli
"I loved how Jarvis-West talked about setting boundaries between family and work. A good leader is in charge of all the aspects of their lives in an organized manner. My favorite thing I took away was to come in with a plan and leave with a strategy." Paige Deno
“This idea of not being hindered by our womanhood can help us all traverse the labyrinth and give us a light to our paths by establishing that we as women deserve to be at the table, and deserve to do more than just take notes. “ - Sarah Arcella
“Mrs. West gave advice that was very inspiring and said to just go for any opportunity I want and apply to many jobs.” -Ciara Aleman
"One of my favorite things that she said was, 'Have someone who will talk about you behind closed doors - someone who will keep you a relevant player.' We can’t do everything on our own and are stronger together. We’ll never change the leadership landscape if we don’t work together and instead step on top of each other. We need to bring female leaders up with us and advocate for them. I also liked Kristen’s point about saying valuable things. She said that everything we say doesn’t have to be a further insight into a situation. We can ask questions and learn, and sometimes that’s way more valuable than just filling space with empty words." Olivia Skirvin
"Kristen mentioned Michelle Obama as an example choosing family over work. Nothing could interfere with their quality family time. This shows how familial obligations would be placed on a higher importance than work. The Obamas chose family. I think that this is a good example of choosing what is important in your own life and using it to –somewhat—balance life and a career." - Aleisha Mowatt
“It was really inspiring to hear how she maintained many obstacles to be where she is today. She emphasized how important it is to make sacrifices in certain situations, and she's still able to be a professional.” - Nya Hernandez
“It was very inspiring hearing Kristen's discussion. She gave us so much great and well-needed advice for the future.” - Leen Shlomo
MORE ABOUT KRISTEN JARVIS-WEST
Kristen Jarvis-West currently serves as a member of the 21 Century Stakeholder Initiative Team at Airbnb, and is responsible for engaging community leaders on key issues. Kristen joined the company in 2018 as the Head of Executive Operations, Office of the CEO, where she advised the CEO on a range of strategic matters.
Prior to joining Airbnb, Kristen was the Chief of Staff for Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation. She joined the Foundation in 2015, after a decade working with the Obama family. Kristen began working with the First Family in 2005, as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff to then-Senator Barack Obama. She became Personal Aide and Special Assistant to Michelle Obama on the 2008 presidential campaign, serving as the primary conduit to elected officials and business and community leaders on behalf of the First Lady. During her six plus years in the White House as Deputy Senior Advisor and Director of External Relations, Kristen created dozens of partnerships with high-profile companies, organizations, and constituencies, successfully advancing administrative priorities such as Joining Forces, Reach Higher, and Let’s Move!
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