Lillian Kim (she/her) specializes in business operations. Geeks out over Charlotte Mason homeschooling, local foodie eats, and latest tech. She has helped bring order into the day-to-day processes of bombilla's workflow and invaluable marketing expertise.

What is your role at bombilla?

As the Administrative and Business Manager, I'm working in the background to ensure that the creative engine is running smoothly so that the rest of the team can put their best (creative) foot forward! My superpower is reigning in the typical startup chaos to find beauty in order.

My superpower is reigning in the typical startup chaos to find beauty in order.

How are you involved with your Community?

I enjoy actively serving my church and local community, including serving the youth in our cities and partnering with volunteer organizations to meet the needs of under-privileged residents. I also like the “incognito mode” of involvement by simply getting to know my next door neighbors, regardless of our differences, and building relationships in my immediate community.

What is a social issues do you care about?

Diversity in representation, opportunity, and platform. I believe that every individual, regardless of what label or group identity they have (i.e. race, socioeconomic status, etc.) has a right to be represented accurately, given equal access to opportunities, and invited to voice themselves on any platform. I believe that every individual has the capacity to bring a piece of beauty, goodness, and truth to the communal table.

I believe that every individual, regardless of what label or group identity they have (i.e. race, socioeconomic status, etc.) has a right to be represented accurately, given equal access to opportunities, and invited to voice themselves on any platform.

How do you cope with what’s happening all around the country and/or World? (War, discrimination, injustice, exploitation, ecoanxiety, systemic racism, etc.) Any tips?

I’m learning that where I place my security and hope in utterly depends on the narrative that I believe in. There are so many competing narratives right now that are causing division, anxiety, depression, anger, despair, and it’s so easy for my emotions to get sucked into that. My personal advice is to find a bigger narrative that isn’t dependent on the current conditions of our world and society, a narrative that is timeless, universal, consistent, and grounded in truth and facts. There’s too much going on that is uncertain and broken to place my trust in, and the only consistency is that humans tend to mess things up. So, find the stronger, bigger narrative outside of anything that is dependent upon society or people.

My personal advice is to find a bigger narrative that isn’t dependent on the current conditions of our world and society, a narrative that is timeless, universal, consistent, and grounded in truth and facts.

What has the global pandemic taught you?

I’ve grown a deeper appreciation for the basic human need for in-person relationships. Even though we are living in a time where we have so much sophisticated technology where we can easily talk to (and see!) anyone in the world, people are understandably feeling lonelier than ever. There is something about the physical presence and proximity of another person that cannot be replaced or trivialized. And that any in-person interaction is better than nothing. I’ve been getting to know my neighbors more because of the pandemic and grateful to know their stories and backgrounds. It reminds me how we’re meant to live in community, and not just keep to ourselves in our own homes and our own families. We were made to interact with all kinds of people outside of our little social circles to experience a fuller, richer life. This is something I sorely miss right now because of shelter-in-place, and hope I will never take it for granted when restrictions are lifted again.

There is something about the physical presence and proximity of another person that cannot be replaced or trivialized.

What is your favorite movie right now?

Pixar’s Soul is by far the best movie that has come out in awhile, in my humble opinion! And the timing of it’s release couldn’t be better, I think. I love the creative, relatable storyline (although it threw me off guard that it was dealing with the subject of death so early on, and in an animated movie too!) I think one of the themes of the movie I just couldn’t agree more with: that even if our purpose or dream in life is never realized (and aren’t many of us feeling like this in 2020 and 2021?), that life is still worth living because life itself is an undeniable miracle.

Shoutout to our 2020 fall intern Yandia Miñana Pérez for conducting this interview!