Meet Jessica Howe with Arete Initiative
Meet Jessica Howe with Arete Initiative, leaders in the art of guiding people and organizations towards achieving greater passion and purpose. Passionate about helping others achieve their fullest potential and exploring what is at the root of barriers and then coming up with collaborative solutions on how to get there, Jessica joined Arete Initiative in 2020.
“The Arete Team is full of amazing, passionate and forward-thinking individuals of diverse thought and backgrounds, who always show up to conversations engaged and with openness,” said Jessica, “the team’s members and clients who engage with Arete are always looking to the future to understand how we can do better and contribute in the deepest way possible - which I think is so important for the future we want to build. I come away from every interaction as part of Arete feeling inspired and energized.”
Jessica’s biggest fear right now is the growing polarity seen across the many conversations happening in our world right now.
“There seems to be a pressure that causes people to feel as though they have to firmly pick a side,” said Jessica, “steering many interactions away from being conversations where we can come together to tackle massive challenges and harness amazing opportunities versus coming together to argue or debate where we lock horns and stay where we are.”
In her spare time Jessica values catching up and spending quality time with friends and family. And is always looking for new little projects to take on, whether that is updating the backyard or scouring Kijiji for pieces she can refinish and give new life to. Jessica is married to her high school sweetheart, Wes, and together they have 3 rescue dogs: Stella, Rosie and Frieda.
Jessica loves being exposed to different thoughts, perspectives and experiences. Whether it is the different groups and committees she is a part of, exploring new places or sitting down with friends over good wine and food to discuss how we would solve the world’s problems.
“I always leave each of these experiences with a new lens to look through and feeling energized,” said Jessica, “I also love connecting with people and being outside in any way I can.”
From interactions with Jessica, her ability to synthesize her experiences and see a point of view or new topic through a new lens is truly a valued gift that she brings to every interaction she has.
Reading recommendations from Jessica:
There are many books that I love, along with a large stack that I am looking forward to getting into once things settle for the holidays. One that I recently read and really enjoyed was Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. As someone who loves being busy sometimes you need a reminder to slow down a little bit and I found this book to be a great perspective on looking at what is absolutely essential that serves your true purpose or goals.