Port Commissioners are elected officials, but often remain behind the scenes. In this episode, Toshiko Hasegawa brings that role—and her own story—fully into view.
As the first woman of Asian descent elected to the Port of Seattle, Toshiko is helping shape the future of regional trade while expanding what leadership looks like in spaces historically dominated by white men. But this conversation moves beyond titles and policy into something deeper: the intersection of public leadership and the private realities of Motherhood.
Toshiko speaks candidly about her experiences with pregnancy loss and the profound lesson many Mothers come to know—that we are not always in control. In a culture that often equates leadership with certainty and control, her story offers a different perspective: one rooted in trust, resilience, and intuition.
We explore how the body, in its own wisdom, knows how to release what is not viable—and how, in a different way, Mothers often know how to guide and raise their children without a map. These experiences shape not only how women Mother, but how they lead.
Toshiko also reflects on how her childhood in Seattle shaped her commitment to community, and how her leadership is working to expand opportunity and equity across the port’s aviation and maritime industries. Her work challenges systems built for exclusion while advocating for environmental sustainability, economic access, and long-term community investment.
In this episode, we explore:
• the unseen influence of port governance in our daily lives
• how representation transforms systems from the inside
• the tension between control and surrender in both Motherhood and leadership
• the role of intuition in navigating uncertainty
• and what it means to lead while holding both personal loss and public responsibility
At its core, this conversation asks a powerful question:
What if the experiences that shape us most deeply as Mothers—loss, uncertainty, intuition—are also what make us stronger, more human leaders?
This episode is for anyone interested in leadership that is not just strategic, but deeply lived. It’s about politics, Motherhood, and the quiet, often invisible experiences that shape how we show up in both.
@MotherhoodAdvantage with Dr. Laura Marie Rivera
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Port of Seattle established by RCW Title 53 in 1911. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_District_Act
Toshiko Hasegawa's vision for the Port of Seattle Port Commission President's Teal New Deal
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Pramila Jayapal prioritizes the Care Economy for Build Back Better CBS News--Jayapal Build Back Better
Port of Seattle Childcare Navigation Services
