TheBridge profile: Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean
Name: Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean
Current city: Daly City, CA
Current job: Vice President, Communications & Policy, DoorDash
Past job: Head of Global Corporate Communications, Airbnb
Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? Fearless Coffee in SF
Q. Describe how a skill you learned in a previous job helped you in your current job. At Airbnb, I quickly learned that platforms only work when they work for everyone and an online community is only as strong as its offline counterpart. Key to that success is a multi-stakeholder approach to bring in diverse voices from the community to ensure its unique benefits are preserved and celebrated.
Q. Job advice in three words? Add value
Q. How are you (or your company) currently bridging the gap between innovation and regulation? It starts with building a team whose first principle is to do right by our stakeholders. Whether it’s advocating for policy changes on behalf of restaurants, Dashers and communities, building diverse coalitions, or engaging with the media, we keep our stakeholders’ priorities front and center. In some ways, this makes us both advocates and ambassadors who help bridge the gap between constituencies who may not immediately see where their interests align. This dual role has enabled DoorDash to work towards innovative policy solutions that work for our stakeholders and policymakers alike.
Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? Governing is really hard and it’s not efficient—often intentionally so. Policymakers can’t “move fast and break things” because there are real world impacts for each and every change. Policymakers have to find solutions that work for all or most of their constituents, not just a subset of the market. That usually means more bureaucracy, but we do a disservice when we dismiss what may appear to be onerous rules and procedures without understanding some are there for a reason.
Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? There’s enormous value in testing and iterating. There are opportunities to be more experimental, take chances and try new things within the confines of government through pilot projects and small scale testing that should be embraced more. These tests will sometimes fail but getting it right each and every time shouldn’t stand in the way of trying.
Also, it’s easy to be cynical, thinking private sector companies only come knocking to change the rules to benefit their company. There are new challenges popping up every day that require new solutions, and there are honest companies out there that want to work with policymakers to find those answers. Collaboration between the public and private sectors where it benefits the greater good should be embraced, not squandered.
Q. Favorite book/podcast/long-form article you recommend? An Oral History of the National Brotherhood of Skiers: This is an incredible story and the kind I’d love to see more of and come off the page and into wider understanding or renown. Somebody has to make a documentary or podcast about this!
“You Must Remember This” Podcast: I love classic Hollywood movies and this podcast looks at the Golden Age of Hollywood without the gauzy, romantic filter. There were real gender and racial dynamics that were not as widely talked about during those eras that the podcast explores in depth.
WTF1 Podcast: An irreverent take on Formula 1 coverage. I’m a lifelong diehard Scuderia Ferrari fan--known collectively as "Tifosi"--and amidst our worst season in four decades, finding a way to laugh at the awfulness of the team's performance was a welcome bit of levity.
And I’m re-reading the John leCarré spy classic, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Q. Favorite app? DoorDash! Others I love: Nuzzel for news, Audible, Redfin/Zillow (I’m one of those people parodied on Instagram surfing through real estate listings), AirCare during the sadly longer and more frequent fire season here in California and Dark Sky, hands down the best weather app. Truthfully, though, we’ve all had enough screentime during the pandemic, so I try to put my phone down when I can.
Q. Embarrassing work moment? As I was leaving my first-ever meeting in the Oval Office, I slipped and almost fell on my face and President Obama had to catch me.
Q. Everyday is probably different, but can you describe a "day in the life" of your job? I spend the first hour of my day reading: emails, newsletters, tip sheets, Twitter, you name it. I try to digest the most information possible before the day gets into motion to provide context and inspiration. Every day is different after that – a grab bag of meetings, calls, set aside time for document review and strategic thinking with my team and for myself.
Q. Startup to watch? I find interior design to be irrationally daunting, so Modsy, an online interior decorating service, was a lifesaver when we moved into a bigger house last year and had no furniture. I love how Blavity, Inc., The 19th*, Billie and Ellevest are focusing on and delivering for diverse audiences and consumers. And as someone who was incredibly lucky to be raised in a family where vacations were often spent camping or exploring national parks, I am a massive fan of how Hipcamp is working to make the outdoors more accessible to all.
Q. Last time you were completely unplugged? Last summer. Every summer we go on a week-long trip to a family cabin that’s completely off the grid: you have to hike or four wheel drive in and there’s no running water or electricity. It’s perfect.
Q. How do you unwind after work? Hang out with my better half and our dog. I go to bed at 10:00 so we watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert from the night before. If I didn’t squeeze in a workout in the morning, I’ll try to get one in after work or take the pup for a hike, with varying degrees of success.
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