Meet Loni Hinton: Attorney and Former YP Advisory Board Member

WPC: How did you get involved with YP after college?

Loni: Transitioning from WPC’s SU Chapter to the greater young professionals group was a natural progression.  WPC does an excellent job connecting with people, regardless of whether they are in college or graduate school or starting their career.  The dynamic speakers and relevant topics always kept me coming back.  I always enjoyed having my policy views challenged by WPC’s research. 

WPC: How have WPC and YP served you in your life, career, or philanthropic goals?

Loni: Knowledge is a gift that keeps on giving.  WPC’s research on issues surrounding education, health care, small business, and transportation has molded the practical solutions that have kept Washington a fantastic place to live and do business.  For example, at a recent YP happy hour Bill Bryant spoke about NAFTA, tariff disputes, and what President Trump’s trade policies could mean for Washington State.

Because of the event, I was able to have productive conversations with people in the construction industry that are challenged by the risks arising from the trade negotiations and was able to provide both my legal recommendations and an insider’s perspective on the trade negotiations based on Bill’s 30-plus years of trade experience.  Now, I’m in the process of writing a journal article about how construction professionals can proactively hedge against the risks posed by ongoing trade negotiations.  This is a prime example of how WPC’s events have a ripple effect and go beyond policy to positively impact how business is done in Washington. 

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Meet Carsten Belanich: Seattle Native and Free-Market Enthusiast

Carsten Belanich is a WPC Young Professionals Advisory Board member. WPC spoke in depth with Carsten about what led to his involvement with the organization and why it is important to him.

WPC: How and why did you become interested in the free-market school of thought?

Carsten: I grew up in Seattle. In high school, things were fairly one-sided. You go along with what your friends which, I think, is normal.

For college, I went to Claremont McKenna in California and had a couple of influential professors. One of my favorite professors had worked in the Reagan administration. His arguments made sense to me – he opened the chink in the armor. From there I started to do some of my own reading – Hayek, Berlin, Burke, and so on. My opening to the free-market school of thought was intellectual – and I hope I’m still evolving!

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Meet Sam Winter: Jennifer Dunn-Thomson Scholarship Recipient

WPC: How and why did you become interested in the free-market school of thought?

Sam: I grew up interested in math, numbers, and economics. It always seemed logical to me. Free-markets explained to me how the world worked and how good things happen when countries trade with each other. At UW, I had a great professor who told it like a story and it just clicked.  

WPC: How did you hear about WPC?

Sam: I got to know WPC through the Jennifer Dunn-Thomson Scholarship. Braden from WPC reached out to me when I was the chair of Young Republicans at UW. We had a unique set up where we partnered with the Young Democrats and tried to host panels and debates. I decided to apply for the scholarship, and that was seven years ago.

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