ThinkNW Marketing All-Star Profile: Mira Kaddoura, Red & Co
We’re pleased to announce our first class of ThinkNW Marketing All-Stars. Chosen by the ThinkNW board and executive team, this program kicks off a tradition of recognizing the unique marketing talent that drives our industry and region forward.
We asked our honorees to share a bit about their work, lives and what the Pacific Northwest means to them.
Here’s what Mira Kaddoura, founder and ecd of Red & Co. in Portland, had to say.
How long have you been in your current role?
More than seven years.
What do you value most in your work in this role, and what do you consider your biggest accomplishment in your current role?
As an Arab immigrant in America and the PNW, I’ve always been “the other” or “the only” in many rooms, so just by existing, I get to challenge the status quo in many ways. I get to create a different operating system than the default in this industry. I’m always asking, “How can this process, this industry be kinder, more inclusive, more just?”
My biggest accomplishment is making people feel like they belong at Red&Co. Every person on this team knows I have their back & will always do whatever I can to support them. I want my little girls to grow up learning from what I do, not from what I say, so I have to lead from that place.
What do you like to do outside of your work?
I love art, yoga, meditation, studying regularly with people I admire, doing the work to be more self-aware and mindful about how I go about in the world. Also, I am grateful for being in nature, mentoring underrepresented talent, being on boards of companies I believe in, seeing people I love as much as possible and spending time with my partner and three little daughters.
What impact does the Pacific Northwest have on your work?
I grew up in the PNW. The PNW really influenced the kind of person I grew to become and how I move in the world today. I think it also gave me the space to create and breathe, which is quite inspiring. Having nature all around has a way of humbling and grounding you, which is especially needed in this industry with all the ego and frazzledness.
How would you characterize the Pacific Northwest marketing/creative community? In your mind, what makes it unique?
People in the PNW have, for the most part, already chosen to work away from the ruthless nature of this industry as we know it in places like New York or Los Angeles. I find people here more accessible and collaborative, too, which makes things happen a little easier.
