This year we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Project Redwood, so it seems right to share a story about Carol Head. After all, she was the one who stood up at our 25th reunion and floated the idea that ultimately led to the formation of this social venture. Read on and see how much more there is to Carol and her passion to make positive change….
The Story Unfolds….
And, what a story it is. Looking back, Carol would say she was a somewhat atypical MBA. She now admits that ‘activist’ is an appropriate way to describe her underlying ambitions….. she has a passion for advancing causes that will improve the lives of others – especially women and girls. In fact, she confided being torn between pursuing a career working in the nonprofit public sector or joining our class at Stanford. Not the alternatives most of us were considering at the time. But a light bulb went off in her head and she concluded that going to business school would allow her to become an advocate for change from a position of power. She sought to become a role model for the opportunities she wanted others to have…and she was determined to become a leader who would make positive change.
While at the GSB, she found herself totally engaged with the experience; more than she anticipated. She loved our class and the opportunity to gain insights into worlds and perspectives that seemed so different from her own. Even as she confessed that she felt like an outsider at times – not entirely relating to the interest so many classmates had for finance, consulting, and the like. But being a social and outgoing person, that didn’t stop her from being an active, involved classmate. Who doesn’t remember Carol taking the lead in class skits and being at the center of most fun social events during our two years at the GSB????
A Winding Path to Follow Her Dreams….
Upon graduation, she concluded that her best strategy was to manage a portfolio career – volunteer and join boards of meaningful nonprofits even as she took a full time job in the private sector (don’t you love the use of those b-school terms?). The nonprofit work satisfied her activist side while taking a corporate job gave her the financial resources to tackle the debt hanging over her head after school.
Carol accepted a job in New York City working for NBC. At the time, the opportunity to be in the midst of power, politics and media seemed like a great way to learn how the private sector operated. But, at her core, this California girl just couldn’t settle into the New York lifestyle. She headed back to Los Angeles and has been there ever since.
Initially, she took a consulting job (a great way to finish her debt repayment) and then moved on to an exciting role working for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee for the summer games of 1984. A few more corporate stints (including 8 years at the Los Angeles Times) and then Carol made another career shift; she took her strong sales and marketing skills and jumped into the more entrepreneurial worlds of start ups and consulting. Tapping her abounding creative energy, she worked for ecommerce businesses (Shopzilla and Hollywood.com) and assorted clients across the marketplace. She then took on yet another career twist and become owner of a wholesale bakery business known as Oliver’s Artisan Bread. For 10 years, she was the one responsible for producing delicious breads eagerly bought up by local grocers (think Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods) and such businesses as American Airlines, Starbucks, and the Getty Center.
Along the way, Carol married Skip Rimer (back in 1987) and they have raised two great kids; Andrew and Daniel. Now 25 and 23, respectively, they are both busy building their own lives in the Los Angeles area.
All the while, involvement in nonprofit efforts remained the constant. Over the years, Carol has supported such noteworthy organizations as Habitat for Humanity, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch as well as Kiva.org and Bread for the World. In addition, she has been an active board member of three major organizations: Women Thrive Worldwide and LA Women’s Foundation (both dedicated to human rights issues) and Womens’ eNews (addressing politics).
Paths Combined and The Stars Align….
Life then took a truly extraordinary turn about two years ago. Over a casual lunch, a friend shared that an organization called Solve ME/CFS Initiative was looking for a new CEO. (ME/CFS stands for Myalgic Encephalopathy/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – a real mouthful). Carol immediately perked up and threw herself into the search. After a rigorous national search, the organization selected her. What worked in her favor; she had both public and private sector experience and they valued that broad perspective. Just one example of the stars aligning…
But that’s not all. That Carol now works fulltime for a social cause that desperately needs more attention and research support would make a perfect ending to this story, but there’s a more personal note to share. While you would never know it to see her, Carol herself suffers from this chronic disease. She started experiencing symptoms 30 years ago – extreme fatigue and difficulty sleeping – that left her challenged to often handle even the most mundane of daily routines. She is luckier than most; she has largely recovered. But, she knows firsthand the frustrations of dealing with an illness that has proven difficult to diagnose and too often dismissed as just a lack of motivation.
Since Carol has been involved, she has been relentless in building more awareness of this illness and gaining attention for more research and support. The tide is already changing. Just recently, there was official recognition of the disease; a huge accomplishment that should help attract more funding (today government funding for research ranks #230 of 240 on spending/patient). Her vision is to generate the research funding for this disease that will ultimately identify the root cause of the illness and find treatments…maybe even a cure.
Estimates by the Department of Health and Human Services say ME/CFS affects as many as 2.5M Americans, most of whom are women. Carol is excited by the prospects of new breakthroughs that improve the lives of those affected by this disease. (Check out this recent interview LINK she had and you’ll hear the determination in her voice.) And, knowing Carol as I do, I’m betting on her success!