From Humble Beginnings to Highest Potential

To know colleague Anthony Rice is to understand how he pivoted to a promising future from a childhood of food stamps, living in state housing at times and visiting his parents in prison. To fully appreciate Rice is to discover how he overcame homelessness at age 20 to become a present-day high-performing and beloved member of the Kraken marketing group. 

“I grew up in Lake Forest in South Orange County, south of Irvine,” said Rice in a recent lengthy and inspiring conversation. “I grew up with a single mother on the pretty poor side ... My parents have been in and out of jail all of my life. I mean, what else do I know? There were times I've gone to jails every weekend to say hi to them, just to talk to my parents.” 

Rice was forced to make some hard choices about limiting contact with his family members and certain friends who didn’t aspire to adult life and marriage he has since built. His father left home when Rice was five. The marketing specialist did spend some time with his dad during youth summers and Christmas holidays when the father moved to Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island, sparking a son’s fascination with the Pacific Northwest ever since.   

Those friends he eschewed were more interested in partying (and worse) than studying or conjuring career paths, His mom decided to move to suburban Chicago when Rice was 20 years old. He had been living at home while attending community college and working a retail job.   

“She made the decision because she had always wanted to move from California to find a better life,” said Rice, matter of fact.  “It was so expensive in California. She only stayed because of me and my friends and connections I had through school. I decided to take a break [from community college]  because I didn't know what I wanted [for a career]. She said, ‘Well, I'm moving to Chicago. I would like you to come with me.’ I made the decision, telling her, ‘I don't want to go with you, I don't want to go to Chicago.’” 

Rice pondered quietly for a few beats, then said, “There were a lot of different times when I felt bad for myself having gone through this and gone through that ... But I knew I wanted better for myself.” 

The turnaround was part from within and part through his girlfriend, now wife.  

“I was always told ‘No’ on a lot of different things,” said Rice, whose joyful and gentle demeanor is apparent upon first meeting him. “I was told I wouldn't amount to anything, that I wouldn't get a degree, that I would just end up working low-end jobs. I wanted more for myself., I wanted to keep pushing, wanted to see how much I could amount to.” 

Got News(letters) for You 

That Rice has turned around his life and amounted to a bright future is undeniable. His work on Kraken digital newsletters, in tandem with senior manager Rachel Hanna, generates significant page views and digital traffic for the Kraken app and website, along with driving revenue across ticket and merchandise sales among other fiscal touchpoints.  

“We look to give our fans the top-of-mind info,” said Rice.  “It’s every person’s version of Kraken hockey. You can be brand-new to the team or with the franchise from the jump. We want to provide what’s going to benefit and inform them at games and following the team, then how can we get it all in one email newsletter. The relationship with the editorial team, the social media team and us has gone upwards every season. We do it twice a month during the season, then once a month in the off season. It's probably my favorite part of my job, writing and building those [email newsletters] out.”

For Rice, working on the One Roof Foundation monthly email newsletter is a special privilege, reaching out to the disadvantaged kids, adults and family in our community via the philanthropic arm of the Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena. The One Roof pillars of ending youth homelessness, providing more access to physical activity and sports, and environmental justice for cleaner air and water in South Seattle all resonate with Rice.   

“I’m really proud of where I'm at now, coming here [Kraken Community Iceplex] every day, working for the Kraken,” said Rice. “The community side of what we do, the sports side, building this new wave is really exciting. I’m stoked to be a part of it.” 

Weathering His Own Homelessness 

When Rice’s mother left for the Midwest, he was at a crossroads. His then girlfriend was by his side and willing to help in any way.  

“I didn't have anything, but I had my girlfriend, who is now my wife,” said Rice.  “She said, ‘You can stay with me on my couch, but we should probably try to find you a place.’ 

For a while there, my ego took over. I said I didn’t want to crash at her place and that I would stay at a friend’s place. But I was really sleeping in my car, right?” 

Impressively, Rice just kept moving forward, pursuing his education and finding work. He took on an entry-level role in a credit union to upgrade from sleeping in his car to joining friends in renting an apartment.   

“Working for credit unions was something I took up to have a stable job in college,” said Rice. “I was working retail before, but I needed something that was more fixed hours and weekends off so I could finish my education ... I started as a teller, but worked my way up all the way to auto loans, credit cards and started doing mortgages. I was a legit banker. 

“But at the root of it, what I really liked was how the credit union was involved in the community. They weren't just a typical bank trying to make money and get the best interest rates on people. We had volunteer days and nonprofit specials. We really partnered with nonprofits in our community. I liked that aspect of it and wanted to get involved in that more. An intern role within the marketing department came up.  I was writing some copy, printing out flyers and worked my way up through to become a marketing coordinator. 

Finding His Way and Place in Seattle 

Rice’s wife landed a job here in Seattle in 2019 and he followed, finding a job with a credit union and volunteering with Skate Like a Girl, an inclusion-oriented nonprofit  “near and dear” to him because Rice grew up skateboarding and surfing in Southern California, sometimes finding it hard to fit into that community.

When the Kraken position opened up, Rice’s experience caught the curiosity of his now colleagues during several rounds of interviews. One example was his work as a high school student writing grant proposals to raise funds for the school’s club hockey team (not a sanctioned sport per financial support). Rice also grew up going on class field trips to Anaheim Ducks games (“way high up in the stands”) and, later, American Hockey League San Diego Gulls games. He knew the sport, loved watching it in person and valued “the grind of hockey players trying to make the NHL” – an ideal perspective for putting together informative and easy-to-access digital newsletters. 

“Anthony truly shines as a peer and teammate,” said Hanna. “You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who has encountered Anthony who doesn't feel the kindness and enthusiasm that he effortlessly carries. He's quick to volunteer to welcome and guide new teammates ... During the hiring process, Anthony spoke openly about the commitment he felt to making hockey and sports more accessible to people who have historically faced larger barriers—Skate Like a Girl and Black Girl Hockey Club are two that jump to mind from those conversations.”  

While working for the Kraken, Rice squeezed in time pursue a 24-month graduate degree in marketing analytics. He finished it in 15 months.  

“It's something I've always dreamed about,” said Rice. “I told myself, ‘Let me just do this before I turn 30 and then really sink into adulthood ... I got a master's degree, to prove to my own self that I could do this.  I got so much support from a lot of different people, including my wife. Being in those situations [in younger days] taught me I don't want to be in those spots for the rest of my life. If I'm able to control what I'm doing, I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen, whether being smart about money, removing myself from certain friends, and working with people who are in positions to be successful but also supportive of me.”