About Quahog Media
Quahog Media is a brand new company, but it has existed for years as a seedling of an idea. Our purpose is to publish travel guidebooks with a difference. We show you the businesses embracing sustainability in each destination, so you can pick the fun activities that support great causes & initiatives that inspire you.
There’s no doubt that sustainability means different things to different people. That’s the beauty of the concept, because whether you are passionate about clean oceans, solar power, or something completely different, there is someone out there working towards that goal. We deliberately define sustainability as broadly as possible, so everyone can find businesses that are aligned with their interests. Keeping ourselves, our fellow living beings and our communities in good condition is just as compelling as traditional environmental pursuits.
Quahog Media is a brand new company, but it has existed for years as a seedling of an idea. Our purpose is to publish travel guidebooks with a difference. We show you the businesses embracing sustainability in each destination, so you can pick the fun activities that support great causes & initiatives that inspire you.
There’s no doubt that sustainability means different things to different people. That’s the beauty of the concept, because whether you are passionate about clean oceans, solar power, or something completely different, there is someone out there working towards that goal. We deliberately define sustainability as broadly as possible, so everyone can find businesses that are aligned with their interests. Keeping ourselves, our fellow living beings and our communities in good condition is just as compelling as traditional environmental pursuits.
About Jen
Travel is my passion. My parents planted this seed in me from the time I was a toddler, when they took me not just to Europe but behind the Iron Curtain. Closer to home, they took me around that same time to my first beach, in Yarmouth on Cape Cod. As I got older and showed interest in languages, they wholeheartedly encouraged me to fly off and become a citizen of the world, while at the same time giving me a strong sense of home, and New England pride. It’s both of these contrasting values that inspired me to create Quahog Media.
Growing up in Massachusetts, and later in Connecticut, I saw early on the importance of our natural resources and tourism trade to the region. Our seasonal scenery, local produce & seafood, historical & heritage sites and outdoor activities are why people come to see us, and it was clear even to us kids that they must be sustained.
After appearing on Jeopardy—and winning!—I was provided with the funding to turn my idea into a reality.
The final push I needed was being accepted into the Sustainable Business Strategy course at HBX | Harvard Business School. This course inspired me to join the many business leaders who embrace sustainability as a way of strengthening businesses, local economies and even entire industries. The entrepreneurial mindsets of my cohort of fellow students showed me that I too could put my ideas to work and create something larger than myself.
I have Bachelor’s Degrees in French and German from Washington University in St. Louis, a Master’s of Science in Management from the London School of Economics, and multiple professional certifications. I have had a career working in the travel industry, and experience working for a sustainability startup. I have studied and worked in France, Germany, the UK and Japan. This background gives me a broad perspective on the topics affecting sustainability and travel.
From many discussions with members of the community and business leaders, as I begin to build Quahog Media, I can clearly see that the time is right. Sustainability is now recognized as a topic for everyone to consider. Businesses and consumers alike recognize that it’s in everyone’s best interests to protect our natural assets. Maybe the Cape Cod Blue Economy Project says it best: “A Healthy Environment = A Healthy Economy”. I hope I can help!
Why the quahog?
For New Englanders, the quahog needs no introduction. In fact, it is so well known in New England that a fictional town is named after it in a popular TV show. Though this hard shelled clam lives throughout the Atlantic coast of the US and Canada, it is a particular icon of Cape Cod.
Although a few pronunciations of this unusual word seem to exist, we use the most common version, rhyming with “Go Dog”.
Historically, the Wampanoags and other native peoples of the East used wampum—beads made from quahog shells—as their currency. The inside of the shell is a bright white with purple marks and swirls, which made for beautiful and varied beads, normally threaded into strands.
Today quahogs remain an iconic part of many visitors’ Cape Cod summers, both as familiar shells found on the beaches, and as a popular menu item.
But there’s more. According to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, the Northern Quahog is considered a “best choice” for those interested in sustainable seafood. Additionally, in some towns, quahogs are being used as a sustainable method of filtering & purifying water. The process does not harm them, and when they finish and move to an area with clean water, they are able to clean themselves back into their original condition.
For all of these reasons, the quahog is the perfect namesake for a friendly company that wants to leave the world a little stronger and more colorful than we found it.
For New Englanders, the quahog needs no introduction. In fact, it is so well known in New England that a fictional town is named after it in a popular TV show. Though this hard shelled clam lives throughout the Atlantic coast of the US and Canada, it is a particular icon of Cape Cod.
Although a few pronunciations of this unusual word seem to exist, we use the most common version, rhyming with “Go Dog”.
Historically, the Wampanoags and other native peoples of the East used wampum—beads made from quahog shells—as their currency. The inside of the shell is a bright white with purple marks and swirls, which made for beautiful and varied beads, normally threaded into strands.
Today quahogs remain an iconic part of many visitors’ Cape Cod summers, both as familiar shells found on the beaches, and as a popular menu item.
But there’s more. According to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, the Northern Quahog is considered a “best choice” for those interested in sustainable seafood. Additionally, in some towns, quahogs are being used as a sustainable method of filtering & purifying water. The process does not harm them, and when they finish and move to an area with clean water, they are able to clean themselves back into their original condition.
For all of these reasons, the quahog is the perfect namesake for a friendly company that wants to leave the world a little stronger and more colorful than we found it.