Despite the Challenge, We Have the Freedom to Succeed

Hope. Optimism. Enterprise. Freedom.  Fifteen years ago, these are the themes I chose to share with more than 200 countries when I opened the US Pavilion at the Aichi World 2005 World EXPO.  The hero of our Pavilion was Ben Franklin, a scientist, a diplomat and an innovator whose eternal curiosity and good humor helped set the underpinnings of the American psyche.

Today those critical messages have never been more important reminders as to what is possible when American creativity is unleashed in the face of adversity.   We all agree that the Covid-19 is unprecedented, and our resolve has been shaken. Yet when we step back and see the dramatic shifting almost overnight of US manufacturing and distribution prowess, digital platforms (telemedicine/telehealth) and our retail environment to pivot and meet new needs created by people quarantined in their houses, it is nothing less than amazing to observe the private sector response.  

My 60 year old husband has a complex medical history.  My mother is in her early 80’s living in a retirement community.  We understand the fear.  It’s real and for those with underlying medical conditions and age, our new reality is one we keep top of mind.  However, we celebrate, appreciate and support those who are first responders to the crisis.  The essence of the young men who landed in Normandy is still within each and every American—the truck driver, the medical professional, the police officer, the online teacher.

Hope:  This weekend John Ross, CEO of the Independent Grocers Alliance reminded us that the “American food industry is a marvel of logistics.”  American companies are now doing what they do daily better and faster with an evolving form of customer touch points which includes curbside pickup and even more home delivery options.  Jobs are being cut in many places, but Domino’s, Walmart, Amazon and others are hiring. Health clubs and yoga studios are hosting online classes and art museums create virtual field trips.

Optimism:  Churches across America provide online services including my church which started my Facebook day with a beautiful hymn sung by handful of choir members standing 6’ feet apart.  Neighbors have set up support systems for the elderly and infirmed.  My own FARE team continues to find creative ways to support the food allergic community as we stay on course to announce new and significant investments in research and innovation in the coming months.

Enterprise: Adam’s Smith “invisible hand” which allows the free market to reach equilibrium has never been more apparent as manufacturing lines across American are already adapting to meet medical supply needs.  Jay Timmons, CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, notes they are “getting personal protective equipment and medical supplies to the professionals and hospitals where it is so desperately needed.”  Down the road, a Virginia distillery is quickly modifying lines to make hand sanitizer.  GM is converting systems to produce ventilators.  3D printers and crowdsourcing prove to be one way to help under resourced hospitals quickly.

Freedom to Succeed:  Stanford received high marks as early on they created a test for coronavirus which is made available to Bay area hospitals. Bipartisan support for fast tracking potential vaccines enabled scientists at Regeneron, Gilead, Moderna, NIH and others to step forward with the power and the might of a focused response.  The New York Times recognized the 4 governors—Jay Inslee (D-Washington), Gretchen Whitmer (D-Michigan), Mike DeWine (R-OH), Larry Hogan (R-MD)—as those who are clearly identifying ways to manage the outbreak effectively in their home state. The list continues as American ingenuity peeks through dark clouds.

As we become more insulated in our homes, it is easy to give up, but I have found that while insulated, I am actually connecting with more people than ever before. As Franklin D. Roosevelt reminded us: “We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.” It is our job to make it so.