Member Spotlight: Kate Jostworth
By Kate Jostworth
Hi, I am the problem–it’s me. Thank you for reading and supporting Member Connections over the past two years. It is time to meet Kate Jostworth, the author behind the Member Connection series. I am handing off the baton, but before I do….
Can you provide a brief background on yourself for those who do not know you?
I am a graduate of Auburn University and when I needed a hobby during COVID, I decided to go back to school to get my master’s with the University of Tennessee. I am a bit of an anomaly in that I have worked for the same company for 19 years and have 3 very different career paths during my tenure. If you buy anything at a major retailer, chances are I have had a hand in getting this product to you to procure for your family. My work within international supply chain management has provided me the opportunity to travel to 35+ countries with some unique experiences along the way, including:
- Traveling up a river that supports the Panama Canal in a canoe that used to be a tree.
- Experiencing the Ramadan tents in the Egyptian desert at sundown when the fast is broken.
- Sailing across the Mediterranean Sea on a containership.
- Eating a pineapple straight from the field in Costa Rica will forever ruin you on what our pineapples taste like in the USA.
While living in Panama, I had my first taste of the power of collective giving. I started a foundation with several of my Expat colleagues to pay for the transportation for schoolteachers to reach the villages of the Indigenous Embera community so students in these communities could have access to consistent schooling.
I fell in love with a boy with a cute Venezuelan accent who loves banking as much as I love solving complex global transportation problems and we settled in Charlotte. After dating for 10 years, with a few being long distance while I filled my passport, he managed to convince me we should get married. The welcoming community of Charlotte makes it extremely difficult to imagine living anywhere else.
While I still support global transportation, I am now the steward of the largest fleet of Class 8 Electric Trucks in the country. My truck fleet will provide the ability to impact the air quality around key distribution hubs positively for future generations. I recently had the opportunity to present at the White House on the policy and investment needs to expand Electric Vehicle adoption across key highway corridors. My core memory was to see a room full of CEOs and policy-makers taking notes on my experiences to bring my fleet of trucks to life!
I am currently working on a manual on key rules to live by for my favorite 10-year-old. I am the proud friend-auntie and will give it to her on graduation day. My favorite rules include:
- Have a signature color… mine is blue!
- No matter what you do, as long as you are wearing pearls it will be classy.
- Life is better when you have a collection of truly unique experiences to draw from, make your own.
- Find your tribe and love them hard!
What makes our purpose or mission meaningful to you?
At the heart of it, I am an efficient person. WIF’s purpose and how thoughtful we are with our process to support the pivotal pillars of the community with our grants is the most meaningful to me. I like that our support extends to all sectors of the community even down to sustainability to protect our community’s ecosystem. People are important but also so is the ecosystem we live in. WIF’s comprehensive lens makes me feel like my time and my contribution is getting the most bang for my buck as some would say.
What energizes/ motivates you?
I feel energized when I am with people. A true extrovert! To accomplish this, I normally have a party in the works to provide an excuse for people to fill my backyard with belly laughs and take a break from the demands of everyday life. Party themes have included a polar plunge in my pool complete with a mobile sauna, a Spanish wine pairing dinner, a Tiki party with fire dancers, and if you are in our top 40 favorite people an invite to our sit-down Friendsgiving where we fry 5 turkeys! Challenge accepted if you dare me to source something unique for one of my parties.
What are you the most excited about for the 20th anniversary year?
As a newer member (less than two years), getting the opportunity to truly see the impact 20 years of WIF has had on the Charlotte community and what I hope my tenure within WIF will drive over the next milestone years has been inspirational. I was bummed to miss our grant announcement at the Annual Meeting dinner this year as the pride of WIF and what we do truly makes Charlotte shine brighter on the evening we announce our partnerships.
Advice to make the most out of your Women’s Impact Fund membership?
Many “say join a committee,” but I will take it one step further and say find a committee that fits your lifestyle. I travel quite a bit and work some strange hours due to supporting international customers. Working on the marketing committee enabled me to stay engaged, and feel like I was contributing to WIF, without needing to physically attend committee meetings. Be honest with yourself on how you can give your time and seek out a committee that supports what you can give based on your stage in life.
What is your favorite restaurant or activity in Charlotte?
My new love is playing Mahjong with a close second having dinner plans with friends at a locally owned restaurant followed by a third at the farmers market. During the spring and summer, I will hit a minimum of two markets on a Saturday. Having worked in international transportation, take my advice, and try to eat as locally as possible! My current favorite restaurants are Restaurant Constance for a celebration meal, Rhino Market to have a meet-up place to play Mahjong, and Las Lupitas Carniceria on South Blvd if you want a truly authentic experience.
