Viveka RydellA trained attorney, Swedish-born Viveka Rydell was working as a litigator at a San Francisco-based law firm when she received a phone call that changed the course of her life. “When my oldest son was in preschool, I got a call from his teacher that he had a severe toothache and I had to pick him up right away,” she remembers. “I hadn’t realized he had any decay at all and I felt terrible.”
Now CEO of Pediatric Dental Initiative (PDI Surgery Center), a nonprofit that provides low income children access to safe sedation dental treatment as well as educates families about oral health and disease prevention, Rydell says the organization’s mission spoke to her: “It was so eye-opening for me to learn that thousands of children suffer from severe tooth decay because parents don’t have access to preventive care,” she says. “We found each other at just the right time. In my law career in the city and after working on an advocacy committee, I realized I wanted to be part of something I was truly passionate about. Our home was in the North Bay and, by shifting my career focus, I could spend more time with my family and be a part of something much bigger than just my job.”
Do you have a big family?
I’m very blessed: I have three children and a wonderful extended family, including one “extra” child (my daughter’s best friend), a boyfriend and a large “village.” I’m lucky that I have so much support in my life. I’m fortunate to have a loving family in Europe as well; even though there’s a big distance between us, we’re very close. My mother, who still lives in Sweden, spends her summers with us.
Where did you go to college?
I came to the United States when I was 21 to study at Santa Monica City College, then transferred to UCLA. After I graduated with a bachelors degree in English, I studied at UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. I also studied law at Uppsala University in Sweden one summer during law school.
What’s one of your greatest professional challenges?
Being prepared for what the California budget may have in store for organizations like us will be our biggest challenge. We have so many ideas, and it’s easy to get excited about everything that’s going on in the community. I’ve had to make realistic decisions about where to concentrate our energy. (I’ve been with PDI through the initial capital campaign and its first pediatric surgery. I want to be here for the staff and the community while we grow and change into a surgery center that’s fully utilized by the community.)
What animal are you most like?
A cat. I’m independent, agile, loving, land on my feet and I purr easily.
What’s your favorite kind of candy?
Dark chocolate. Not toffee—bad for your teeth!
If you had an extra hour of free time each day, how would you use it?
Play more with my kids, go for a hike or read a book just for fun.
If you were unlimited by money, where would you spend a vacation?
Hiking, skiing and exploring in South America, Europe and beyond.
What’s something you’ve done that surprised even you?
Leaving the certainty and security of a big law firm job after having worked so hard to attain that goal. The billable hours were killing me, I missed seeing my three children and what started as an intellectually stimulating endeavor in court always left me with the question, “Why am I doing this?” In 2005, I decided I had to run a local nonprofit so I could spend more time with my kids and see the tangible good I was making in the world. Following my heart and daring to do the things I care passionately about turned my life around.
What’s the most unusual food you’ve eaten?
“Smushed fish.” (Inside joke: My son and his friend were trying to gross each other out. One said: “My parents eat pigs feet.” My son retorted in triumph: “My parents eat ‘smushed fish.’ He was referring to pickled herring, which is very popular with Swedes like me.)
If you could suddenly possess an extraordinary talent in one of the arts, what would you like it to be?
Glass blowing.
Who inspires you and how are you a bit like them?
I try to always emulate those who serve others and to constantly remember that kindness starts with oneself, those closest to us and everyone we encounter each day. Jesus, Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama serve as inspiration, and I try to learn each day from them. I falter but always try again.
What’s your favorite question to ask?
Why?
What’s your favorite question to answer?
How?
