"Curiouser and curiouser" - A little more about Charisse Pagarigan.

Charisse, also known as Baby Walrus, loves to organize and is a fiend for the small details. Intensely organized and a huge fan of structure, she has come to Kaci to whoop us all into shape and make things work seamlessly.

Charisse is tasked with helping Kaci and our clients take care of their back of house, basically maximizing the efficiency of operations processes and systems. She has worked in the non-profit sector since 2007 and has experience in both large and smaller organizations. The positions she's held have allowed her to develop an eye for the multiple facets of an organization's operations which are the same no matter the size.

Her elevator pitch is an enthusiastic "Hi!" followed by a toothy grin. Then she might tell you all about her cherished childhood memories; Treehouse fights, her and her siblings towing each other on roller blades using their bikes, sneaking off to the corner store for 5 cent candies, camping, and road trips (when we didn't realize how much work it takes to take kids anywhere!). And she will probably do it all while balancing two squirming kids on her head.

Her favorite word in the English language is curiosity. It's her scapegoat when she has annoyed someone with too many questions. That is probably why her favorite line from her favorite movie is "Curiouser and curiouser" - Alice in Wonderland. 

When not working, Charisse enjoys spending time with family and friends. "Good conversations and good food, paired together are my jam!" She said. She also enjoys taking photos and at one time dabbled in black and white photography, even considering having a darkroom in her house. 

"I like that Kaci is increasingly posturing itself to serve its clients." She said, "I like that Kaci strives to serve a super-specific niche excellently. What I like most about working for Kaci is that I work for a business I believe in. 

Things you love? Good food that I didn't have to cook myself, chocolate, laughing hard, moonlight, and dad jokes.

Things you fear? Bugs flying or crawling into my ears.

The most unusual thing in your office? My sock collection because who doesn't like toasty toes when they're working?!

What's the most inspiring part of your job? Partnerships! Working with amazing people reaching for incredible impact to the benefit of others is so humbling.

What's your most significant career or work-related accomplishment? I'd say bringing two of my favorite worlds together, both non-profit work and higher learning. At the time, I was working at a non-profit that served older adults while studying gerontology, and with a team, we worked to launch a research project on a new build and leading-edge model of long-term care in Canada.

If you won the lottery tomorrow, what kind of company would you start? Honestly, Kaci is well on its way to being a dream company for me (whether I own it or not), so if I won the lottery, I'd invest in Kaci's business development, start our own grant program or foundation and then create either a social enterprise or non-profit that complements our work. 

In another life, I'm pretty sure I was? A racecar driver. 

The best piece of advice you've been given? Remember whose you are. 

If you could invent a holiday, it would involve? Local block parties and cook-offs!

What advice would you give a candidate who wants to join our team of superstars?  Be you!

If you weren't so damn good at your job, you'd probably be? Back in school. I enjoy going to school, lots!

Favorite quote? Rise and shine! It's butt-kicking time! - Cool Runnings 

Your top 3 favorite Podcasts/Books?  Ooh, picking favorites is hard; they change all the time but right now: Humble Roots by Hannah Anderson (book), Ear Hustle (Podcast), and Overheard (Podcast).

What's your background? Like career-wise? - If so, I grew up thinking I would be a medical doctor or a pilot and am so glad I'm neither because knowing what I know about myself now (and because I'm almost legally blind), those vocations aren't a match for me. I did finish a degree in cell and molecular biology, and maybe that's where my collection of weird scientific facts started. If not career-wise but more like ethnicity - I'm Filipino Canadian. My family moved here from Manila when I was six years old. 

What are the values that drive you? Compassion and Honesty.

Pets? I wish. When the time is right, I'd like to have a dog - either a pittie or a labradoodle or an Australian blue heeler. 

Clothing?  Decision fatigue is real! My daily uniform consists of a top, a bottom, perhaps socks, and a hair tie. 

Your best friend? My three beautiful sisters (oh, and my baby brother, because I can't leave him out).

Your bucket list? I've never really thought of having a bucket list, even though I'm a lover of lists. Hmm, I wonder why?

A favorite singer or group you love to dance to when you're all alone in the living room? My lonesome (well, now they include my littles because really, when am I ever alone?) dance party tunes currently include three Spotify playlists: Latin Cardio, Let's Go Crazy and 8-Bit Hits. 

Your hairstyle? I aim for low maintenance, so this consists of growing it out and then chopping it off into a bob when I get annoyed with how long it is and then growing it out again, and the cycle continues. 

The car you drive? A small SUV. It's so dinged up I'm considering covering it in stickers. It's my kid's favorite activity, so, two birds, one stone.

Something you collect? I'd like to think I collect memories, but I don't have the best memory. Maybe that should be on my bucket list - work on improving my memory. I'm a nerd at heart, so my mind automatically collects weird (most often than not scientifically related) facts. I also collect journals but not intentionally, I get gifted a lot of them, and I always think I'll start using them, but…

Travels? If you count scootering while my boys ride their bikes in alleyways, travel, then I travel every day. I love getting out with my kids. We're always up for new adventures and looking for the next place to explore. So far, it's been all local travel. Except, Australia when my eldest was a babe. I like to call it: "micro-travel," for example, "What's under this rock?" "How about this one? And on and on…but who knows what roads the alleys will eventually lead to for the three of us. 

Your hero? I have three: Single parents, teachers, and the superhero of all superheroes: Jesus.