The theme of the Business Journal's 2022-2023 Book of Lists and Leaders is water. To demonstrate H2O’s contribution to the regional economy, we asked nine business leaders to write short essays on how water intersects with their lives and companies. Photographer Sam Gehrke photographed each executive behind a sheet of clear acrylic, which he then sprayed with water to achieve a rainy look. Below is the contribution from Kamelah Adams, founder and creative director for Mimi's Fresh Tees. You can read all the essays here. The Book of Lists and Leaders will be mailed to subscribers on Dec. 23. You can find more information here.
Water is an important ingredient to our business. We believe in environmental efficiency. At Mimi's Fresh Tees, most of our garments are 100% cotton. Without water, the cotton to produce our garments just wouldn’t exist. Water keeps our business running by nurturing our store plants, steaming garments, and keeping our team hydrated.
Portland is fortunate to have two high-quality drinking water sources, the Bull Run Watershed and the Columbia South Shore Well Field. This makes our region competitive economically because our healthy water invites people to Oregon. Oregon is considered a great state to live in because of our water, and specifically because Oregon is ranked one of the highest states with the best tap water.
Protecting water is vital. Everyone deserves access to clean water. Other places in the United States are currently struggling to obtain clean water. I think it’s important to shine a light on Flint, Michigan and other parts of the United States that don’t have access to healthy drinking water.
Environmental justice is crucial to protecting healthy water sources. We are fortunate enough to have clean tap water in Oregon and policies to protect our water.
Water is life. Whether going to the Oregon coast and enjoying the sounds of the waves or a nice soak at Knott Spring Wellness Center, water is a part of our everyday lives and without it we couldn’t survive.
— Kamelah Adams, founder and creative director, Mimi's Fresh Tees
