Hello! My name is Sophia Zike-Jamieson. I am a senior economics major and biology minor at Whitman College. In June I began working at Anato. Anato is a regenerative skin care company headquartered in my hometown, Santa Cruz, CA. Anato follows a closed-loop business model and aims to surpass sustainability and reach regeneration. A closed- loop business model entails using the same materials continually in order to conserve natural resource. In terms of regeneration, the company does not simply want to sustain the land, rather Anato focuses on regenerating the land. In order to do this, Anato uses regenerative resources such as perennial plants and trees. These resources are very important when it comes to regeneration as they have the ability to sequester carbon, a key ingredient in reversing climate change!
As many people are experiencing at this time, my work is all online. My role at Anato is as the PR, 
Partnerships, and Media Relations Intern. This role includes many different forms of outreach and a creative take on forming connections. One of my main goals is to get Anato featured in magazines, podcasts, blog posts, newspapers, as well as in other media outlets. Along these lines, I try to find opportunities in which Anato can engage with the community. Santa Cruz is dedicated to supporting local businesses thus I try to find connections within the community. One of my primary tasks incorporates researching editors, writers, and other people of this nature that would be interested in Anato. Anato has many layers to the business, as it fits in well with the lifestyle of very outdoorsy people, environmentalists, zero waste activists, surfers, and beauty product lovers. Thus, when I am researching individuals to reach out to, I must find the way that they will best connect with Anato’s business model and mission. With that being said, I spend a lot of time researching people and then connecting with them in order to find ways to promote Anato.
In the long term I am interested in working in business. I am also very passionate about living a healthy lifestyle as well as promoting this way of living to others. This internship has provided me with the opportunity to see what it is like to work in the business world in the early stages of a company’s life, as Anato was only opened a few years ago. Anato also embodies and values the component of healthy living. This internship has provided me with the insight of what kind of company I would want to work for in the future and has also allowed me to see how important it is that your values align with that of your place of work.
The first photo is part of the weekly blog posts that Anato complies and posts on the website. I chose to include this as I think it highlights what a unique company Anato is and the value placed on helping the planet as well as helping individuals lead healthier lives. Here is the link to the blog post if anyone is interested in learning more about the positive effects of seaweed, https://anatolife.com/blogs/news/why-seaweed-should-be-a-staple-in-your-home.
Experiences like Sophia’s are made possible by the Whitman Internship Grant, which provides funding for students to participate in unpaid internships at both for-profit and non-profit organizations. We are happy to be sharing blog posts from students who were supported by either a summer, fall, spring, or year-long Whitman Internship Grant at organizations, businesses, and research labs all around the world. To learn how you could secure a Whitman Internship Grant or host a Whitman intern at your organization, click here or contact Assistant Director for Internship Programs Mitzy Rodriguez