RISING ICON #80: Jack Eckblad
What name do you prefer to be called?
Jack Eckblad
What are your pronouns?
He/Him
Where did you grow up?
Born in Madison, WI and raised in West Bend, WI. I’ve been based in Milwaukee since 2009, with stints in upstate NY, NYC, Washington, D.C., Boston, Colorado and Cairo, Egypt.
What city are you currently based in?
Milwaukee, WI
How do you typically introduce yourself to new people?
Usually I surprise them by knocking on their door, calling them, or meeting them at an event.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about you?
I have been a trained political organizer for more than 15 years.
Who do you help?
I help whoever I can. At HubSpot I try to dig deeply into what solutions a business is looking for. As a County Supervisor I want you to see government creating amazing spaces - whether it is a park, a pool, a public bus, etc. - for your family and always trying to be better/more accessible.
What are you building now?
Hoping to build A LOT. Building political acumen and capacity within the pragmatic progressive movement, building up candidates who are awesome people. But right now I’m focused on building jungle gyms and day camps, opening wading pools and splash pads.
What were you building ten years ago today?
10 years ago I was building a career and a marriage from scratch, and 15 years ago I was building a school during my first campaign in West Bend, WI.
What do you predict of yourself 10 years from now?
I’m not big on predictions, but I hope my son is happy and healthy, my community is more vibrant, and my wife is still in love with me.
What’s a fact or statistic you wish everyone knew about your industry?
I’ll give you two: rents have risen an average of 20% over the past year, and 70% of folks who are unhoused are unhoused temporarily - meaning they are working their tails off to improve their own situation. Milwaukee is facing historic levels of homelessness, historic levels of property ownership by out of state landlords, and historic rent increases. All of this is part of the same picture, and affects families, children hardest of all.
Why do you believe the work you do matters?
The palpable relief I see in folks when they realize - after we’ve disagreed on something - that I want to keep talking. First of all, it is hard to not believe in parks, jungle gyms, and splash pads. 20 minutes at any of those will convert even the most ardent skeptic. Most importantly, in these politically polarized times, genuine connection between folks who disagree at times is more meaningful than ever. You’re voting for Trump? OK let’s keep talking. How do you feel about parks and public transit? The commonality of our everyday concerns is deeply grounding and meaningful in an environment where algorithms are constantly trying to break us down for the sake of ad and content targeting. The realization that we can use those moments of disagreement to build trust instead of creating adversaries gives me unlimited hope in the work I do.
Who is your mentor and what is the best advice they’ve given you?
My first philosophy professor Mark Peterson taught me how to think. My first campaign manager Dan Derse taught me how to organize, and my middle school guidance counselor Sue Milkus taught me that none of that will amount to anything if you don’t start with genuine compassion. A bar owner named Ben, in a moment when I was pretty depressed, asked me “are you eating good food, drinking water, and getting good sleep?” A gentleman named Dapo took me for a walk when I was genuinely lost and told me “wherever you want to go, just figure out every small step along the way.”
What piece of content about you or your company are you most proud of?
If you told me a year ago that Urban Milwaukee would have a page linked to my name I would have told you you’d gone crazy. If you told me that page would already include articles on safety in the county jail and building parks, I’d be immensely proud.
What publication do you hope to appear in next?
As long as Urban Milwaukee thinks covering me is worthwhile I’ll know I’m on the right track.
Who would you love to be interviewed by?
Being interviewed by Shelisa Demuth is a pretty incredible privilege. I’ve been able to see glimpses of the work you do, and being here is a personally meaningful compliment.
If you had to give a TEDTalk tomorrow, what would the title be?
Dobby the House Elf is the greatest character in modern literature.
What award would mean the most to win?
I don’t think any award can compare to the feeling of seeing your neighbors turn out to vote for you. It’s incredible. Though, the “world’s greatest dad” artwork my toddler’s daycare sends home comes pretty close.
What makes zero sense to you?
The idea that capitalism on its own solves problems. People solve problems. Capitalism provides a hyper-efficient mechanism for creating and then concentrating power and wealth. Ideally, people use representative government to both channel capitalism’s efficiency for creating wealth and power, and mitigate its proclivity to concentrate those things. This way we can create a higher quality of life for the many instead of the few. Anyone who thinks the market on its own is on their side baffles me.
What’s a word in your industry you hope gets re-evaluated?
Debate. The point of exchanging ideas isn’t to win or convince the other person.The point of debate is to exchange ideas.
What game are you changing?
If you think that pragmatic progressivism isn’t a thing, either because you’re on the far right or the far left, then the game I’m playing is probably pretty frustrating to you.
What’s the next thing you’re a part of that you want to invite more people to participate in?
VOTE! Vote for god’s sake and for god’s sake vote!! If you don’t know how google it! Seriously, no joke, VOTE.
Where can we follow you online?
https://www.facebook.com/jackformke
What’s one thing that makes every leader better?
Curiosity.
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We’re grateful to each Rising ICON for their transformative work. Thank you, Jack, for sharing your story!
LAUREL is a media relations partner for bold leadership. For nearly a decade, we’ve helped leaders build effective strategies for scale and growth specializing in key opinion leadership and go-to-market strategy for emerging brands. To follow along with the RISING ICONS series, nominate a leader or subscribe to our weekly email newsletter. To accelerate your own rise, get our free guide to elevating your leadership profile, FIT(lite). RISING ICONS is made possible by grant funding from Knight Foundation.
“ The point of exchanging ideas isn’t to win or convince the other person.The point of debate is to exchange ideas.”
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