Benoit Jurion: Strengthening Our Community Through Policy

Over the past quarter as a Policy and Research Intern at Veggielution, my primary focus has been developing our first-ever policy platform – a guiding document that aligns Veggielution’s work with broader advocacy efforts to support East San Jose’s food systems, entrepreneurship, cooperative development, and environmental education. Additionally, this policy platform will help guide our Policy and Advocacy team by helping hone in our focus and limited capacity into key areas that create the most direct impact for local community members. The goal is to create a cohesive framework that ensures all Veggielution’s future projects, partnerships, and community initiatives are strategically connected to long-term impact.

This process has been a transformative experience, as I’ve developed and applied key business skills in real-world settings. One of the most valuable skills I’ve honed is interviewing, particularly in engaging with various Veggielution teams to learn more about their work, challenges, and aspirations for the community. I also had the opportunity to conduct bilingual interviews with local community leaders, learning how to bridge language gaps to gain deeper insights into local needs and “on the ground” perspectives.

Additionally, I’ve taken on leading presentations to communicate our policy platform and goals effectively to our teams. Presenting to different stakeholders – from internal teams to external partners – has strengthened my ability to translate complex policy concepts and needs into accessible, actionable discussions. Beyond presentations, my work has also involved qualitative data organization and synthesis, ensuring that the wealth of information gathered is structured in a way that can be easily understood and approved by both Veggielution and community members of the East San Jose community.

As I continue working on finalizing the policy platform, I am eager to see how this document will guide Veggielution’s advocacy and partnerships moving forward. By creating a structured, mission-driven approach to policy, I hope to contribute to a lasting impact on East San Jose’s local food system and community-driven development.