Faith & Vocation: Zoe Hoster

As part of a year long project focused on faith and vocation we are highlighting various parishioners by having them answer seven questions.

Meet Zoe Hoster!

How long have you been in Seattle and what do you most enjoy and struggle with about living here?

I’ve been in Seattle since 2019. What I enjoy most about Seattle is how bikeable it is, especially with the many new bike lanes that have been built in recent years. My e-bike is my primary way of getting around the city, and it’s how I get to Harbor most Sundays. I also love getting out of the city on long road bike rides with my cycling club. The toughest part of living in Seattle is seeing the pain of so many people on the streets who suffer from addiction.

How long have you been at your current place of work and do you see this as a place of longevity? Why or why not?

I work at Microsoft in a group called Corporate Business Development, which is part of the Finance organization. My role is to develop and negotiate strategic partnerships and acquisitions that will grow the Azure cloud & AI business. Examples would be a partnership that integrates another company’s technology into a Microsoft offering, or a deal to win a flagship customer by developing new Microsoft product capabilities that will serve that customer’s needs.

I’ve been at Microsoft for six years, covering a few different product areas along the way. I have no plans to leave just yet, but the tech industry is full of companies where partnerships, ecosystems and product interoperability are crucial to the business and where I believe I could make a positive impact.

Do you see your calling and your career as the same or different?

I believe everyone is called to work, in the broadest sense of the word. Our work is how we reflect God’s image as creator. As Julia Cameron wrote in The Artist’s Way, “We are meant to continue God’s work by being creative ourselves.”

Whether it’s earning money, taking care of others, creating art, or building community, any way that we labor with our hands and minds is to the glory of God. John Calvin wrote in his commentary on Genesis, “We know that men were created to busy themselves with labor for the common good. There is no work so mean and so low that it will not glisten before God.”

What are some of the things that you find most enjoyable about your work?

I love how my role draws on a variety of business skills: I get to think about product and market strategy, do financial analysis, and negotiate contracts.  As a very social and extroverted person, I love collaborating with many colleagues and our partner companies. There’s a human element to forming a partnership between two companies that goes beyond the numbers in a spreadsheet or the words in a legal document.

It’s exciting to be part of the AI industry at this time of enormous growth and change. I’m currently focused on Microsoft’s specialized clouds for classified data, where the US Government stores highly sensitive information. I’m proud to contribute to our national security in a small way by ensuring our government has access to the latest cloud tech and AI capabilities.

What do you find particularly challenging?

Sometimes my work feels very abstract; the output is not something you can see or touch. Being part of a very large organization, even the financial impact of my work can feel imperceptible when considered against the earnings of the whole company.

How do you see your faith intersecting with your work?

One of the things I’m working on in my faith is trusting God’s plan for my life, including my work and career. I try to remember that creative work is an act of surrender and humility to God. I can show up and do my best, but I don’t control the inspiration, the outcome, or the recognition. That’s a tough reality I’m grappling with in my walk with God.

If there was something the church could do to support you more, what might that look like?

I’ve been at Harbor for five years now, and it is the most supportive church I’ve ever been part of. I’m so grateful for the deep friendships I’ve made and the spiritual growth I’ve experienced since joining this community.

But since you asked - introductions to single guys are always welcome 😊. I’m single today, but I hope to meet someone wonderful and be married in the future.