By Ebony Welborn, Sea Potential, LLC
Community care matters. Rest matters. Reconnection matters.
Back in 2019, before Savannah and I started Sea Potential, we made a sweet friend while working as interns at our former organization. As our internship terms came to an end, there was an opportunity to apply for new roles within the organization. Savannah and I were fortunate to secure positions for another term, but our friend wasn’t selected.
He was a part of the international cohort, and when we learned he would be returning home to Palawan, Philippines, we made a promise to visit him after our next term ended. But, as we all know, the story shifted. COVID hit like a wrecking ball. Right as Savannah and I were deep in planning what would become Sea Potential, everything changed. Travel halted, and the reunion we had envisioned was delayed indefinitely.
Then, two years into building Sea Potential, after two years without seeing our friend, something unexpected happened: we heard about Seattle Foundation’s Black Joy and Wellness Fund. A friend forwarded it to us and encouraged us to apply. As two black women grinding to turn our vision into reality, we thought why not? Why not share not only our hopes to reimagine and reconnect our community to the maritime industry, but also our longing to reunite with our friend.
So, we submitted a video. We shared about Sea Potential, our desire to visit our friend, and our intention to combine that reunion with an opportunity to learn about the marine ecosystem in the Philippines. To our surprise and joy, our application was accepted.
We were going to the Philippines to reconnect with our friend! And the excitement kept coming, we received funding to support a new team member. Inspired by a story we once heard about a founder who took her team (and a plus-one for each person!) on annual vacations, we made a vow: we would do the same for our staff when we could. And now, the timing was perfect. We turned our reunion into our very first Sea Potential team retreat.
Planning began. We exchanged excited messages with our friend and prepared for what would be a truly special trip, with the full support of the Black Joy and Wellness Fund.
There were so many firsts:
- First time out of the country for some
- Longest flight ever taken for some
- First time visiting the Philippines
- First time visiting an international friend’s home
- First time snorkeling or diving in the Philippine Sea
A Filipino Feast
Through our trip preparation, we discovered a deeper connection between Filipinos and Washington State’s maritime history. Filipino workers, known as “Alaskeros,” have been integral to the state’s maritime industry since the early 20th century. From the 1920s, they played a crucial role in Alaska’s salmon canneries, often enduring harsh conditions and discrimination. Their resilience led to the formation of the Cannery Workers’ and Farm Laborers’ Union in 1933, the first Filipino-led union in the United States. Today, their legacy continues through the Inlandboatmen’s Union, Region 37, which represents many Filipino-American maritime workers. I’m sure we would’ve stumbled upon this rich history at some point but discovering it just before our trip to the Philippines made it all the more meaningful.
It’s hard to fully express how much this trip meant—to us as individuals committed to maintaining deep, cross-cultural friendships, and to us as Black business owners wanting to show genuine appreciation to our team. Words can only go so far, but the photos help capture just a glimpse of the joy we experienced.
There’s always something going on in the world—systems and people that seem hell-bent on crushing hope, dehumanizing others, and stealing our will to live. These forces create stress, fear, and grief on unimaginable scales. Here’s what I want to say: Community care matters. Rest matters. Reconnection matters. In a world that constantly demands more, that wears us down with relentless challenges, we have to invest in joy, in wellness, and in collective restoration as well. It’s how we stay in the fight—for the long haul.
Sea Potential Team with friends.