What did you do in your internship with The Ground_Up Project?
I was a digital marketing intern who contacted green entrepreneurs all over the world and wrote blog stories about their companies! Typically I wrote about their impact on people in their targeted locations and the environmental influence they had. I also made posts and photo quotes for The Ground_Up’s Instagram page @theground_up.
What’s the best part about working with The Ground_Up Project?
The best part of working with The Ground_Up Project was the team-based environment. Everyone really worked together to improve and expand our outreach. We had conference calls where we all were able to give ideas, opinions and our input on how to make The Ground_Up stand out to environmental entrepreneurs. Communication made the work enjoyable, and having such a positive team to fall back on really made the experience great!
What inspires you?
Being someone who has traveled a lot, I have seen many places that have damaged environments, and many places that have environments that are protected. I have been to many U.S National Parks, and seeing their untouched beauty inspires me to want to give back to the Earth and protect the areas that have been negatively impacted. Places that become environmentally friendly not only help improve the Earth’s health, but help enhance our quality of life as well.
Why is it important to drive environmental change with small business?
It is really easy for smaller businesses to get lost in a sea of entrepreneurs. Searching for environmental companies with potential to change the world could be a trying task. But with a website like The Ground_Up Project, investors and service providers can rely on being able to find the best and most positively-impacting small green businesses, and these entrepreneurs have the opportunity to stand out. By having blog posts about these small companies, more people will be inspired to drive environmental change, too.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learned so far?
The Ground_Up showed me that one of the world’s biggest influences is social media. By using different websites and social media platforms, we can really educate and inspire people to want to improve the environment! I also learned so much from small business, such as what inspired their company and all the different environmental problems that exist on our planet.
How can people get involved?
You don’t need to have a business or be looking for one to impact the environment; by following The Ground_Up and reading/sharing all about the companies that aim for change, more and more people will be educated and informed on social and environmental problems. You can donate and support the companies listed, or even purchase products they’ve designed to help improve the world. There are many ways to get involved…all you need to do is search for them.
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Jenna is a recent graduate of Montclair State University in New Jersey, USA. She has a Bachelor’s in Sociology with a minor in Environmental Justice. She hopes to use the knowledge she gained from both her studies and The Ground_Up Project to deepen the connection between people and the Earth’s environment. She is passionate about nature, travel, music, writing and space science, and hopes to become a fictional author some day. Her goal is to work for NASA Global Climate Change. Her motto is “reach for new heights!” (NASA), and that’s what she always intends to do!
