Zebra Courage: Yoonjung Lee, prudent: decision strategy

“Courage means speaking up about problems and acting upon solutions even when you anticipate opposition.”

This month, we're discussing "courage" with the Zebra community. We took the opportunity to chat with Yoonjung Lee of the Portland, Oregon, Zebra community about the topic.

First, let's hear about the Zebra that you’re building.

Whenever I see a problem, I see a better way to collect and organize data, so that people can do the work they want more effectively and efficiently. For example, I noticed that there are a lot of grassroots movements to recruit volunteers who can offer support to people who are most affected by and are vulnerable to COVID-19.

The problem here is that the data are very decentralized and unorganized, which means that there are too many small pockets of volunteers who can't find enough people to help or vice versa. So I mapped out what the data should look like. I've reached out to over ten different people and organizations in two days that may be able to help me build better tools for organizers.

I am hoping to find more partners that will help keep this project alive. I also have started to map out a solution for small businesses who are struggling to publicize their products and offerings and may also be willing to barter with other small businesses.

What does courage mean to you, specifically as a Zebra?

Courage means speaking up about problems and acting upon solutions even when you anticipate opposition.

What are some times in your business that you've had to be most courageous? What did you learn from them?

I have had to make several tough calls in terms of finding who I want to work with versus not. People are at the center of every business and not every business leader understands that. I learned that I can find people who share my values and I can adapt to their problems and environments quickly to find solutions that work for them as opposed to working with people who do not share my values even if I could profit much more off of those partnerships.

Interested in learning more about this Zebra company?

Contact Yoonjung Lee.