Fred Rabb

I grew up in the Central District of Seattle during the 80s and 90s before it was gentrified. My father was in construction. My mother was a lawyer. Both parents instilled in me a desire to help others—in particular the marginalized populations within the city. I felt I could best help by having a career in business or law. Before going off to college I decided to pursue a business degree partially because I was afraid that people would think I “had it easy” and was not genuine in my intentions. Because not only was my mother a lawyer, but she was the first Asian American female appointed as a judge in Washington State. My grandfather had also been a lawyer as were others in my family.


I graduated from Morehouse College in 2007 with a degree in finance and secured a great job in banking, just in time for the Great Recession. Halfway through my eight year career as a banker I obtained an MBA at the Tuck School of Business. Even though I was successfully climbing the corporate ladder, I felt increasingly unfulfilled. I was not helping my community through my work in a meaningful way. I finally noticed a change in myself. My greatest feelings of pride and accomplishment shifted from working on huge deals to my experiences volunteering for nonprofits. Teaching math to children in the West End of Atlanta. Helping veterans in New Hampshire and Vermont acquire basic services through Project VetCare.


It took me almost half a year to build up enough courage to walk away from a fruitful career. Yes, I created multiple Excel models to help make this decision… In mid-2015, I left the corporate life style and returned home to Seattle. The next year I began attending the University of Washington School of Law. My first summer job was with the Law Offices of Vonda Sargent where I was able to work on a notable police misconduct case. Next, I externed at the Tenant Law Center of Catholic Community Services of Western Washington where I helped provide legal services to tenants facing discriminatory evictions. Then in my third year of law school I interned with the SKKM firm right in time to help with the Ride the Ducks case and trial. Finally, I felt in sync with who I am and with the principles I deeply value.