In the world of comic books, origin stories inform the reader of the identity and motivations of heroes and villains (thankfully, we only have the former here). Like Spider-Man or Captain America, your origin story is important as it defines who you are today. Learn about the experiences, people, and influences that shaped Concord's Elena Williams by reading below!
I grew up in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, right next to the Hopkins Concord office.
My immediate family lives within five minutes of me. One or two nights a week, we have dinner together. If someone isn't available, that's okay; if they are, that's even better! My parents are great cooks and love to host their kids and grandchild.
My first boss was a chiropractor who hired me when I was 16 years old. I worked for her over the course of nine years, both full-time and part-time. Whenever I had a new idea, she would let me try it out, whether it was arranging supplements on the shelf, running discounts, creating a new website, taking professional photos, or eventually researching important compliance topics for her. In my last year working for her, she sat with me and suggested I pursue a career in HR, specifically something compliance-related. She sent me to networking events, conferences, and lectures, encouraging me to discover whatever I could to hone in on something I was passionate about—and I did! She was also an avid birdwatcher, so during lunch breaks, we would go to parks and look for birds. She still sends me text messages to make sure I'm doing alright and was so happy to hear about my role at Concord.
Anywhere my son wants to be! I love seeing the world through his eyes and absorbing his questions. Our most memorable vacation was a cruise we took together.
Becoming a parent. I didn't anticipate being a hyper-involved parent when my son was younger, but now that he is 8, I have pushed myself to coach youth soccer, volunteer in his classroom, and become more involved at his elementary school. I love listening to the perspectives of kids and getting to know them.
Even though I live in the Midwest, I feel like there is no shortage of delicious food from all over the world at my doorstep. When I'm having a really bad day, Malai Kofta is my favorite comfort food. If you ever catch me saying I'm getting Indian cuisine for lunch, it's probably because I'm trying to work through something and need my comfort food to focus.
I worked at a national accounting firm for four years and had the blessing of working in an internal operations capacity, which allowed me to try a little bit of everything. I have a passion for helping people understand things and am sensitive to the stress of starting a new job. During those four years, I hosted orientations and basic IT training, and I loved it. When it was time to move on and I found Concord, I was immediately excited to welcome new members and help create initiatives for existing employees. Creating Concord Connect felt like a "once in a lifetime" opportunity—the chance to help build a resource platform that I hope will benefit everyone, regardless of the size of the impact.
You may have seen my Lunch & Learn where I shared my love for painting miniatures for tabletop gaming. Besides that, I also enjoy birdwatching. You can watch birds all year long, and a love for nature is a global affinity; no matter where you are in the world, someone will be eager to show you the birds and wildlife in their area.
After launching Concord Connect, I talked about it at home for weeks once I found out I had the opportunity to help build it. Being able to review feedback and receive messages from employees who found the resources they needed means the world to me. It meant even more that I was trusted to do it, and my vision was supported by my supervisor, Kelsey Thayer, and our leadership, Dan Arom. I know I stand in the shadow of talented designers at Concord, who work to provide excellent products to our clients. My clients are the employees at Concord; they might not know it! Anything I can do to give our employees a competitive advantage while they do their work makes me feel accomplished.
"Know when to walk away, know when to run." This isn't just a great line from a Kenny Rogers song; it’s also a reminder that not all ideas are great ideas. Not everything we start is meant to be finished. It’s hard to see in the moment, but sometimes walking away from a project, a life situation, or an uncertain opportunity is the best thing we can do.
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