Jaime Nack
Three Squares, Inc.
Santa Monica, CA USA
"Respect your gut feeling...or your curiosity about giving back. It’s coming from somewhere, it’s coming from inside."
Career Roadmap
Jaime's work combines: Environment & Nature, Entrepreneurship, and Upholding a Cause and Belief
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Intern!! Get experience in the field and around people doing the job that you want to do. Start small by implementing sustainable practices into your everyday life. Don't use plastic straws, bring your own grocery bags to the store, etc. And, encourage others around you to do the same! The way you carry yourself in the world and the choices you make has an impact.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
International Economics
University of California-Los Angeles
Bachelor's Degree
Public Policy Analysis, General
University of California-Los Angeles
Graduate Degree
Public Policy Analysis, General
University of California-Los Angeles
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a President & Founder:
High School
Bachelor's Degree: Economics, General
Graduate Degree: Business Administration and Management, General
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
Attended UCLA and received a bachelor’s degree in international economics with a minor in public policy.
2.
Was heavily involved in student government at UCLA and was even elected Cultural Affairs Commissioner her junior year—refers to this experience as her “business bootcamp.”
3.
Her first job out of college was working for the City of Santa Monica, where she ran community events including coastal cleanups, inspiring her to get more involved in environmental work.
4.
Decided to go back to UCLA to get a master’s degree in public policy.
5.
Worked for an environmental consulting firm and helped grow a multi-million dollar department—says this built up her confidence in the industry and in her ability to lead a company.
6.
In 2008, at the height of the recession, she decided to start her own environmental consulting firm called Three Squares, Inc.
7.
Perhaps best known for “greening” the 2008 Democratic National Convention, an unprecedented environmental effort which serves as an industry benchmark for how to produce sustainable events.
8.
Is passionate about educating others on sustainability subjects—has served on the National Women’s Business Council and is currently a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
Why sustainability? There is no future in that. Why would you want to start a business now in the middle of an economic recession?
How I responded:
It never stopped me. It helped that I had worked for 3 years at an environmental consulting firm and built up a multi-million dollar department. I built the confidence under someone else's roof before I went out on my own. It was still risky but I never looked back.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
When you are first starting a business, you want to grow things as quickly as possible, but it doesn't always work that way. You have to secure clients, finances, and make sure that everything is mission-aligned. It's stressful.
This is a hurdle with starting any business.