Alumni of the Week: Jennifer North

Lifetime Positive Impact
Foresight Immersion 2011 Fellow

Currently: Environmental Sustainability Analyst at PE INTERNATIONAL

Career Path: Miami University ’07 > Nielsen BASES > Foresight Design Initiative Immersion Seminar > PE INTERNATIONAL

Next Step: Short term, my next step is to continue my involvement in the Chicago community through my work, volunteering, and exploration of the city. Longer term, my next step may be to move to a different city, think about graduate school, and travel.

Personal Sustainability:
I rely mostly on public transportation and walking since I haven’t owned a car the entire time I’ve lived in Chicago. I am a huge supporter of the local food movement and try to eat seasonally and purchase the majority of my produce from farmer’s markets.

Currently Reading: I just finished The Age of Innocence by Edith Warton (it had been awhile since I’d read any classic literature) and am now starting Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken. I also try to read most of the longer pieces published in The Atlantic, New Yorker, and New York Times Magazine. These longer time articles or op-eds are always fascinating no matter the topic.

Recommends: Read everything you can, starting first with the sustainability classics, like Natural Capitalism, Cradle to Cradle, and The Ecology of Commerce. From there, keep reading anything and everything that remotely interests you. It will help you see that things are more interconnected than they seem. Also, get involved in what’s going on in Chicago (or your respective city) whether it is going to lectures, volunteering, or simply keeping up with the news. There are exciting things happening here that you will only know about if you’re involved.

Foresight Memories: It’s difficult to pick one single memory from Immersion but I’ll try! I really enjoyed meeting Lindsay James of Interface and hearing both her career story and the Interface story. I knew very little about corporate sustainability at the time and learning more about Interface from Lindsay was a formative experience for the direction of my career.

Next Gen Advice: Be open to meeting new people, both peers and mentors. Within reason, say “yes” to everything. Be bold and take thoughtful risks.

Dream Project/Job: In 5-7 years, I would love to take a year and travel around the world. Longer term, I don’t daydream about a specific project or role, but I do hope to be satisfied with the positive impact I’ve made throughout my life and career. I don’t yet know what that impact will be, but I’m excited to find out!