When Christian Pasanen was contacted by a recruiter in 2022 about an accounts payable position at Heluna Health, he was excited about the prospect of returning to work for a nonprofit. At the time, Christian was working in accounts payable for a for-profit company that owned a chain of gas stations in Northern California. Earlier in his career, he had worked for a non-profit social service agency that provides foster care and adoption support, among other services.

“After leaving my first job with a nonprofit and working at a for-profit company, I wanted to work again for a company that helps society in positive and meaningful ways,” Christian says. “Because Heluna Health works with many different partners, it’s impact is not just with one program but with many.”

At its most basic level, Christian says that his job at Heluna Health involves processing invoices for programs, but unlike typical accounts payable positions, he must also make sure that invoices align with budgets and the requirements of government contracts. “I’m detail oriented, so that helps catch minor mistakes.

“I’ve always been a numbers guy and have always been good at math,” Christian says. “In accounting, there are strict rules that you have to follow. There’s no ambiguity. I like the structure behind accounting.”

Christian works in Heluna Health’s new Oakland office, a building constructed in 1918 that has been fully renovated from the ground up, located just two blocks from historic Jack London Square. He works primarily with the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity program of the California Department of Public Health, a program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help public health agencies to detect, respond to, prevent, and control known and emerging infectious diseases.

When asked what he would tell prospective employees about Heluna Health, Christian says, “It’s a great environment with a lot of benefits and fulfillment. In the short time I’ve been here, everyone I have come across, from the CEO on down, has been friendly and welcoming. Just knowing I’m working for a company that has a healthy and positive impact to society across multiple programs is inspiring.”