Meet Keenan, one of our first East Bay Delivery Drivers
Behind our work to serve the East Bay is a rapidly growing team of individuals that are as passionate about the Bay Area and reducing waste as you are. Case in point: Keenan Laurence, a Bay Area native and professional ultimate frisbee player who is as enthusiastic about catching up with Ridwell customers on his routes as he is catching frisbees up in the air at his games. Keenan lives on the intersection of the Glenview and Dimond neighborhoods in Oakland and since he joined Ridwell in July has been a key part of our East Bay team. Let’s get to know Keenan!
What's something you enjoy about your job at Ridwell?
I really enjoy the community. Almost every interaction I've had with employees and members has been really lovely. As soon as I walk up to the front door and they open it, Ridwell members are very excited that I'm there to pick up their bin. The amount of thanks people dish out is very heartwarming.
What's something you've learned about wasting less in your role?
I found out that a lot of plastic film can be recycled. Once I saw it could be recycled I realized much of it was in my life, my roommates lives, and households around me.
What's a fun fact about you?
For 10 months during the pandemic I lived in a tiny home in Silverthorne Colorado at an elevation of 9,000 feet. I was looking for a place to be outdoors and ended up having a great summer there. I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I got used to the elevation.
What type of music or podcast do you like to listen to while you're driving or working?
I’m still picking out what I enjoy listening to while I drive. Lately I’ve been cycling through lots of Spotify playlists with an eclectic mix of genres like indie folk, jazz, rock, and a lot of Tom Misch. I'm looking to get into audiobooks soon though. My ultimate frisbee team is running a team book club and so I’m planning to listen to “The Overstory” by Richard Powers soon.
What does your ideal day off look like? What are you doing? What are you eating?
On a good day off I start the day by playing a round of disc golf, then take a walk around the neighborhood in the Oakland hills drinking a banana berry smoothie.
You have a special connection to Oakland via being on one of Oakland's newest professional sports teams, the Oakland Spiders. What's it like being a professional ultimate frisbee player?
It's an absolute joy to be able to represent Oakland and start growing a community of fans while helping bring pro sports back to Oakland. I'm ecstatic to have found this sport and have the opportunity to travel around the country playing it. It's honestly one of the most unique sports out there. A frisbee is not affected by gravity the same way as other ball sports and that single variable produces jaw-dropping highlights and athletic feats that you won't see in any other sport. I'd love to get some Ridwell members out to some Spiders games.