By Kris Washington, Multimedia Creator
The Growing With Elevo series features mission-driven people from across our organization sharing their stories and growth experiences as they strive to make a positive impact for the students we serve every day. This month, Multimedia Creator Kris Washington speaks on the many chapters in his Elevo journey and how it led him to become a crucial member of our Marketing Team.
The Beginning
Like most people, I needed to make a living. After going through a tough time, a friend reached out and lent me a hand. That friend happened to be an Elevo coach, and they invited me to join the team as well.
At that point, I had been coaching high school football for four years, so I figured, “How hard can this be? I’ll be coaching elementary school kids—I got this!” I even convinced my fiancée to join me.
I started as an Elevo Coach/Peer Mentor at Hemlock Elementary in Fontana School District, and I absolutely loved it. Every day, I got to mentor students, play games with them, and be someone they could talk to. I’ll never forget kids like Mia, Zara, James, and Michael Jackson—those names stick with you. The program was running smoothly, and I was having so much fun that I even referred one of my best friends, and we had a blast coaching together.
At that time, I was juggling multiple jobs just to make ends meet. I was working for a radio station, coaching football, and launching my freelance content creation business. But Elevo didn’t feel like just another job—it felt like a purpose, just like all my other gigs. I was helping people in every role, and that’s what mattered to me.
The Promotion
After just 3-4 months, I was promoted to Coach Trainer. This gave me the chance to travel to other schools, meet more coaches, and connect with even more students. That’s when I realized Elevo was so much bigger than what I saw at my school—there were 30 schools in Fontana alone, with coaches making an impact across the district.
Making an Impact
Moira Chung, another Elevo employee, had an idea to bring some extra joy to our coaches. She came up with the idea to create Valentine’s Day goodie bags, and as a team, we hand-delivered them to all of our coaches. I thought, “Why not record this and make an epic recap video?” And so we did. When we shared the video with the company, it was a hit—hearts melted, and our coaches were thrilled.
This project sparked something in me – the desire to capture raw, genuine and authentic moments. These moments tell the story of Elevo and they are happening all around us – throughout the state of California. Video speaks to everyone. Even if it’s not in a language you can understand or even if there is no dialogue at all. Everyone can feel something when these visuals and that is why I am passionate about video. We started hosting more events for our coaches and capturing it all on video. It became clear to me that Elevo needed more video content, and these moments were happening all over California. I wanted to focus more on video, but for the time being, I was happy to keep filming in any capacity I could.
The Turn
Things were going great in Fontana, but as the year wrapped up, Elevo went through some changes. My position as Coach Trainer was eliminated, and I was devastated.
During the summer, I started thinking about how Elevo could improve the community’s experience, just like we had improved the employee experience. I took inspiration from my time at the radio station and came up with an idea: What if we had a branded van that could pull up to schools, host events, and engage with the community? I pitched the idea to Elevo, and they loved it! Soon after, I was promoted to Street Team Lead.
The Street Team
In my new role, I got to find a van, get it wrapped, and drive it all over California for events. We built a team called “Team Blitz,” made up of Elevo coaches, and we hit community events to spread the word about Elevo. It was a blast! While recruiting and brand awareness became my focus, I still filmed every chance I got, holding onto my dream of doing video full-time.
As Team Blitz grew, so did my responsibilities. Eventually, I was promoted to Street Team Manager, overseeing a team that built connections across California. But after another reorganization, my position was eliminated once again.
The Dream
Even though my role as Street Team Manager kept me busy, my passion for video never took a backseat. In fact, the bulk of the 40 videos I created for Elevo were made in my spare time, outside of my primary responsibilities. I filmed during lunch breaks, after events, and whenever I found a free moment because I truly believed in the power of capturing authentic stories.
These videos didn’t go unnoticed. As more people saw the impact these films had—both internally and externally—it became clear that there was a real need for an in-house videographer and photographer at Elevo. My work helped demonstrate just how much value video could bring to the company, and I couldn’t have been more excited to see that potential recognized.
From Proposal to Reality
For months, I had been perfecting a proposal for an in-house video production department. I shared it with colleagues and even asked them to poke holes in it to make sure it was bulletproof. When I finally brought it to Elevo’s leadership, they saw the same vision I had.
In June 2024, I officially accepted the role of Multimedia Creation Lead at Elevo. Now, my main focus is producing videos that tell the story of Elevo and its mission. It’s a dream come true—taking something I’ve always been passionate about and turning it into a full-time role where I can make an impact every day.
Biography
Kris Washington is not just a creative force but a dedicated husband, a lover of Jesus, and an advocate for genuine human connection. With an unwavering commitment to inspire and encourage everyone he encounters, Kris channels his passion through Zomtape, his wedding film production company, where he captures life’s most authentic and unscripted moments. Kris’s love for his wife and his faith fuels everything he does, guiding both his work and personal life. His “why” is simple: “why not?”—a philosophy that drives him to embrace every opportunity to make a lasting impact.
