Name: Kirkland Bobseine‍

Title: Communication Strategy Lead

Current residence: Newport Beach, CA

Hometown: Timonium, MD (Baltimore, MD area)

Fun fact: My husband and I have an obsession with donuts (classic glazed) and a lab named “Ciambella”, which translates to ‘donut’ in Italian.

‍Tell us about your background. How did you end up at tPX?

I studied marketing in college and while I didn't know exactly what kind of career path I wanted, I knew it needed to be something where I could blend my analytical and creative skills, and knack for relationship-building. I was looking for something that allowed me the space to create new ideas, run with them, and ultimately see the impact of my work. 

At the start of my career, I spent seven years working within the real estate industry for a leading property management/construction/development company. I built a lot of trusted relationships and was able to grow my communications expertise through a variety of different roles across business development, marketing, and corporate communications teams. It was during this time that I found my passion for what was then referred to as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). I started leading the company’s volunteerism programs as a passion project outside of my “normal” job. And not long after, I had the opportunity to make CSR strategy my full time role. I built the company’s formal CSR brand, platform, and programs from scratch. I’m very proud of that work—it still exists today and has grown exponentially!

Realizing how much I loved the responsibilities of that role led me to pursue the consulting/agency side of the business. I was hungry to dive in-depth into strategy work, and didn’t want to be limited to making an impact in one industry. I found tPX thanks to a totally random LinkedIn connection who was willing to connect while on a job hunt. As fate would have it, tPX had an open role that was a mutually great fit…and here we are!

‍What’s your favorite part of your job?

I get to wake up and think critically and creatively about how companies communicate their environmental and social impact work. Even better, I get to do it alongside some of the brightest and most authentic, impact-driven people I've ever met.

One of my favorite parts of my role at tPX is gaining insight into how a diverse range of companies work. No strategy, program, or communication is the same—to me that’s exciting and keeps me motivated to grow and learn every day. 

‍thinkPARALLAX’s purpose is to inspire fresh perspective on sustainable business transformation. What perspective do you bring to tPX, our clients, and/or our industry?

I find myself having conversations with clients that help push them to think about, then talk about their impact in new ways–ways that can sometimes make them feel a bit uncomfortable, in a good way. I try my best to show up with a commitment to doing the work that isn’t necessarily the easiest, but will help make the important strides our world needs around environmental and social impact issues. Part of my job is to help clients understand the importance of strategy before communications. I like to think I bring a perspective that isn’t afraid to be real about what needs to be done in order to communicate authentically. 

‍What’s a project you’ve worked on (at tPX or a previous role) that you really enjoyed or that felt really meaningful?

We recently developed a sustainability communications platform for WM (formerly known as Waste Management). It involved a lot of collaboration, research, and critical thinking, and the end result has been really rewarding. My favorite projects are with companies who are seeking to integrate sustainability/social impact into their primary corporate brand. For WM, sustainability is intrinsically tied to who they are as a company, and we got to help uncover and shape that for them. It has been a really exciting blend of strategy and creative work. 

‍What causes are you most interested in?

I am a HUGE believer in the teamwork, confidence, friendships, and mental toughness that young girls gain from playing sports. I love organizations such as Girls on the Run and Soccer without Borders who help drive access and opportunity for youth sports, especially for females. 

I am also incredibly passionate about shopping small and supporting local businesses. Avoiding big-box retailers/chains and choosing to spend my money locally has always been a way for me to feel like I can make even a small difference wherever I am living. I also hope to have my own shop/cafe of some kind one day, so I like to think this is also helping me manifest it…

‍What brings you joy outside of work?

Hiking (or any kind of outdoor adventure), cooking, and thrifting/vintage hunting!