Rick Allen

Rick Allen

CEO


National Geographic Ventures

Washington, DC USA


You have to get as much information as you possibly can, look at it as thoughtfully as you possibly can, and then say, 'I gotta make a decision.' Don't hesitate; just put the pedal down and go.

Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

Rick Allen

Milestones

My road in life has been direct.
Growing up, Rick was passionate about marine biology.
He originally went to Dartmouth University as a pre-med student, but he failed his first biology class.
Ended up switching his major to English, which he says was "among one of the most interesting things [he's] ever done."
Believes that his background as an English major prepared him for just about anything.
Says that the twists and turns on his career path could never have been planned, yet they ultimately coalesced into a job that he loves.
He stresses that being passionate about something doesn't mean you're going to be happy about it all times.
His rule of thumb is: if your happiness is generally trending down, you should probably find something else to do.
However, if your happiness is generally trending up, you should "take the bumps."
Keep following my journey

Career

CEO

I lead media companies and produce television, film, interactive media, websites, and consumer products for them.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Business
Television
Accomplishing Goals

Interviewed By

The Open Road

The Open Road

The Roadtrip Nation team head out to San Francisco, where they interview Chris Fink, product designer of Ideo Design and Tim Brown, CEO, Ideo Design. Next they meet with color consultant Beatrice Santiccioli, virtual CEO author Randy Komisar, Queen Bee of Buzz Marketing Yahoo Luanne Calvert, Clif Bar founder Gary Erickson and visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren.