Bragging
Jen Boulden is an environmentalist, entrepreneur, author, public speaker, and a fierce animal lover.
Hailing from Atlanta, Jen spent the early part of her career leading business and marketing strategies for a wide range of corporate and nonprofit organizations including IBM, Hearst, World Resource Institute, and Rocky Mountain Institute.
With her trademark visionary style, in 2001 Jen dedicated her life’s work to create true value by aligning economic and environmental incentives – and voila: she found herself at the heart of the green business revolution. After receiving her “green MBA” she founded The Anavo Group, one of the first successful sustainable-business consulting firms in the country. Then a few years after, the idea for the eco-email company, Ideal Bite, was born – and Jen fell in mad love. It’s been said that Jen “ran to create Ideal Bite like her head was on fire and she was running towards a well.” Sending out one smart and sassy green tip a day, Ideal Bite quickly took off, amassed a loyal following of over a half-million subscribers, and was bought by The Walt Disney Company in 2008.
Here at GMA we frequently turn to Jen Boulden, our eco goddess, for great ideas and advice. — Sam Champion, Good Morning America
Known for her joie de vivre, Jen became a regular on the national television circuit. Through her media platform she raised awareness about things like the stupidity of bottled water, eating bison if you need to have a burger, and wearing vintage clothing for the hottest “green” look around.
To keep it real Jen hangs with a bevy of egg-laying chickens on her urban Los Angeles property, a corgi (who’s got so much personality you’d almost swear she was human), several shelter-rescue cats, and her horse named Lou-Girl. Driven and dynamic, Jen throws dress-up parties at the drop of a hat, takes sabbaticals that kick her ass, and was a finalist applicant for the television show Survivor. (Turns out you do need to watch the show if you want to get on it.)
When not speaking at events, consulting, writing, or competing with her horse, Jen is an active member of the NRDC, is eco-renovating her house, and serves on the Board of the Pollinator.org, a nonprofit that helps ensure our food sources by supporting pollinating species. Jen has a degree in Economics from William & Mary, and went on to receive a “green MBA” from George Washington University, where she was honored with the highest award ever given to an alum.
Today Jen is ever-more impassioned to help pioneer the next phase of the green movement, one that will be defined by a regenerative economy that respects all living things. Equipped with the hard-won knowledge that we need more than small steps to correct our course, Jen’s new mantra is “be bold – what have you got to lose?” She gets up each day, ever-more committed to bring about true progress. Well, after a very strong cup of coffee, that is.
