Discovering new horizons
Evan Nave (MSM ’25), inspired by his classes and experiences at the Quinlan School of Business, is pursuing a career in sustainable marketing.
Evan Nave (MSM ’25) doesn’t let anything get in the way of accomplishing his goals. Growing up with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Nave faced and overcame difficulties throughout his education. He carried his forward momentum into earning a Master of Science in Marketing from the Quinlan School of Business, as well as a Business Ethics Certificate and Baumhart Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Certificate.
Exceeding expectations
Nave isn’t shy from talking about his neurodivergence. Because of his PDD-NOS, Nave was developmentally, socially, academically, and emotionally delayed by about three years. This, combined with a speech impediment, made grade school difficult for Nave.
“I was treated pretty badly by the education system for being different,” Nave said. “There wasn’t a lot of hope for me to succeed.”
Nave wasn’t expected to go to college.
Refusing to yield to his circumstances, Nave overcame his speech impediment, hit the grindstone in high school, and became an honor-roll student who graduated near the top of his class. He continued his education at Moraine Valley Community College with an Associate of Science (Cum Laude), and Governors State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications (University Honors).
Nave then built a 10-year career in marketing, working for multiple start-up companies in marketing roles, and most recently interning at the Hong Kong Business Association of the Midwest.
Exploring social justice
In evaluating his next steps, Nave wanted to give himself a competitive edge with a master’s degree, but he wanted to do it in a way that aligned with his values. His convictions led him to Quinlan.
“I chose Loyola because of the social justice factor,” Nave said. “These classes really motivated me to make a change.”
Through the master’s degree and certificates, Nave received a broad, case-study driven education rooted in Jesuit traditions of caring for humanity. During a Quinlan marketing course that took him to Southeast Asia, his favorite class service activity was serving a meal to school children at Romchek Primary School in Cambodia.
“As soon as I arrived, they were putting plates down saying, ‘Feed me, feed me,’” Nave said. “It really opened my eyes to how wasteful we can be in America.”
For some students at the school, breakfast was their only meal of the day. As Nave was serving food, many would return for fourth and fifth helpings, and others would take food home for their families.
“This motivates me to give back to my community and work to end hunger by being more sustainable with food and resources,” Nave said.
The experiences inspired Nave to get involved and to make a difference. He joined Loyola's Net Impact organization, which seeks to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world, as well as the Black Business Student Association and the Association of Latino Professionals for America, where he helped mentor young students.
“I’ve learned a lot from them as well. I feel that true social justice is listening and learning from others to be a better leader yourself,” Nave said.
Striving for more
The lessons Nave learned at Quinlan motivated him to create change through his professional life, too. Inspired by the concept of sustainable marketing taught by Senior Lecturer Eve Geroulis and business ethics learned from Clinical Professor James Murphy, Nave asked his colleagues at the Hong Kong Business Association of the Midwest to create a role for him to implement environmental social governance (ESG) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives for the organization.
“I told my colleagues that disclosing ESG and CSR initiatives could really help the company, and thus, they created a position for me as the Marketing, CSR, and ESG intern,” Nave said.
Nave now helps to create CSR and ESG strategies, initiatives, and reports for the company. He’s also worked to redesign the company’s website, create newsletters, and recruit new members. After graduation, Nave plans to pursue a career in sustainable marketing.
“I want to help market products in a responsible and sustainable manner so we can help end pollution and harmful emissions,” Nave said.
In reflecting on his time at Quinlan, he encourages students not to back down from any challenge.
“True creativity is navigating through the impossible,” Nave said. “There have been many roadblocks in my life, but I’ve navigated around them, and I wouldn’t be the man I am today without doing so.”