Jacob Englund
Nominated by NAMI Minnesota
Member, NAMI Hennepin County (MN)
Listen to Jacob's Candidate Speech
Job Title or Position:
- Sales Executive, Microsoft
NAMI Leadership Experience:
- NAMI Minnesota Board of Directors (Board Member, 2+ years; Treasurer, less than 1 year)
Additional NAMI Involvement:
- Speaker at NAMI Minnesota’s Bi-Polar Symposium
Other Board Service:
- Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees (Board Member, 4 years; Vice-Chair Advancement Committee, 2 years)
Relationship to Mental Health:
- Individual with first-person experience of mental health illness
Candidate Strengths Assessment
The candidate indicated they have experience in the following areas that will help NAMI achieve its mission and strategic goals:
- Advocacy, Banking/Trusts/Investments, Business/Nonprofit Administration, Business/Nonprofit Leadership, Financial Management/Accounting, Philanthropy/Donor Cultivation, Risk Management
Estimated years of experience in the above areas:
- I have been a Mental Health Care consumer for over 20 years, navigating care teams, insurance, medications, medical bills, and significant debt. I also serve a role in Financial Services with Microsoft which will help with philanthropy, financial management, leadership, and business administration.
The candidate indicated they have connections and networks in the following areas:
- Entertainment/Film/Television/The Arts, Information Technology, Marketing/Public Relations
Candidate Leadership Style
The candidate indicated the following descriptors represent their leadership style:
- Action-oriented, Innovator, Outcome-oriented, Peacemaker, Risk Taker, Team Player
Candidate Narrative
The candidate indicated that they possess these specific strengths and attributes that the NAMI Board has identified as high priority for the 2023-2024 Board:
- Experience with a variety of revenue models and financial oversight and management
My personal experience living with Bi-Polar Type 1 for 20 years, has equipped me to navigate the challenging mental course so many people face. I am passionate about increasing access and navigating care, insurance, and medications while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I plan to help facilitate partnerships, especially through the use of technology, to expand available mental health resources to all in need.
I personally have helped advance the NAMI mission in my community by being a lead fundraiser for the NAMIWalks Minnesota, through speaking at the Bi-Polar Symposium, serving as the Treasurer of NAMI Minnesota, assisting 1:1 with others to navigate the health care industry, speaking internally at Microsoft about reducing the stigma and providing resources to help others seek care.
I work well in coordination with other leaders to accomplish goals as evidenced by my ability to orchestrate large initiatives with global financial service organizations, my ability to serve on a non-profit board with a $2 billion annual operating budget, 20,000 employees, and 430,000 students to respond to the economic crisis of 2009 to help hundreds of thousands of new students receive higher education, through building two business from the ground up securing funding and performing hundreds of concerts across North America, and living a life that welcomes diverse opinions and people of all backgrounds to solve problems for the greater good.