We started this company in 2018 because we were tired of watching the benefits industry fail the people it’s supposed to serve.
We're a small team that knows your people by name, shows up when they need help, and believes how someone is treated matters as much as what their plan covers.
Who we are
Meet our team
Kristen Cooper (she/her)
With over two decades of experience, KC has a mapmaker’s understanding of every twist and turn employee benefits present. She’s resolved to make a difference by serving clients with an oft-forgotten feature called ‘humanity.’
Her style combines a strong technical background in financial/data analysis, with a creative and heart- centric approach that fuels her to deliver awesome results, and develop lasting partnerships with her clients – across the organization – be it the CEO or production line.
FOUNDER & CEO
M Downey (they/them)
M brings experience from across the healthcare industry – local community health centers, regional and national health insurance carriers, and state public health. M has a master’s degree in public health and is deeply passionate about making healthcare more accessible to everyone. When they are not working, they find joy in the garden, neighborhood walks with their pup, and spending time with their partner and the special young humans in their life.
ACCOUNT MANAGER
Jen Eswonia (she/her)
With eight years of experience in employee benefits, Jen developed her expertise as an Account Manager supporting small businesses and nonprofits. Known for her relationship-building and client care, she’s excited to bring that same passion to Blackbird’s team and clients. A lifelong advocate for inclusion, Jen is an avid reader who loves recommending books and local indie bookstores. Her biggest fan is Juniper, her boxer dog and devoted "pupparazzi."
SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER
Tracey Whitney (she/her)
Tracey specializes in building people-first operational systems, from equitable hiring and compensation frameworks to clear and effective project management processes. She’s passionate about using business for good, and serves on the board of On Purpose Oregon. Outside of work Tracey love gardening and watching her two young boys grow.
FRACTIONAL COO
Chloë Miller (she/her)
Chloë brings a background in design, marketing, and project management (and a love of the B Corp community!), and helps keeps communications projects flowing at Blackbird. She’s inspired by helping values-aligned folks grow and thrive. When she’s not behind the computer, you can find her taking her poodle Cosmo to the park, cooking elaborate meals, or out supporting a neighborhood biz.
MARKETING & DESIGN
The values we share
Justice
We believe justice is both a practice and a vision. In our work, it means actively standing against anti-Black racism and all forms of oppression, including transphobia, classism, sexism, anti-semitism, and xenophobia, and taking sustained action to dismantle the racist systems, policies, and practices that cause real harm to real people. We listen to and center the voices of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and marginalized communities, because that's how we stay accountable to the world we're working toward: more dignity, more diversity, more joy, more prosperity, and a healthier planet for the generations that come after us. We believe unequivocally that BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Thriving Partnerships
We believe that when values-driven organizations are well-supported by partners who understand their mission, good things happen beyond their walls. Thriving partnerships mean showing up as a true strategic partner: understanding what our clients are trying to build, helping them get the most from their benefits investment, and growing alongside them so that their success becomes the success of our entire community.
Heart-centered Service
Heart-centered service means bringing excellence, integrity, and genuine compassion to every client interaction. For people who have experienced disrespect, dismissal, or harm within benefits systems, the quality of how they are supported matters as much as the support itself. We hold ourselves and our partners to a high standard because we believe that when people are treated with dignity, care and respect, we're building a future that’s better for everybody.
Trust
Trust is the foundation of everything we're trying to build, inside and outside of this organization. Internally, it means creating a culture where people feel safe, seen, and secure enough to be vulnerable, express themselves fully, and find genuine fulfillment in their work. Externally, it means showing up for our clients and partners with consistency, transparency, and genuine care, and earning their trust by creating an environment where they feel safe, heard, and supported.