Jae Larsen was born to be an organizer and an entrepreneur. While other kids were playing, she was busy building the season’s first lemonade stand, mowing lawns, washing cars, walking dogs, and any other enterprise a budding 7 year old with a flare for business could do to make a few dollars. She was also known for her gift of gab. Never the shy type, even at an early age she’d strike up a conversation with just about anyone. So it came as no surprise that she eventually received a full scholarship to attend the University of Southern California for her speech and debate skills. There she earned a degree in Communications with a minor in Business.
Prior to attending college, her strong sense of duty lead her to serve in the United States CoastGuard. In keeping with her adventurous spirit, she was among the very first class of females ever stationed aboard a long range vessel. She proudly served aboard the USCGC Glacier. Then, in the mid 1990’s, looking for an adventure and a way to raise start up capital for her new construction business, Jae once again took to the seas. This time it was Alaska, and fishing boats. She worked out of Dutch Harbor, on the tip of the Aleutian Island chain. It was during this time that she had a first hand look at the destruction that was happening to our environment at the hands of humans. This is also when she made a quiet promise to herself to do something about it.
In 1994, Larsen founded Mad Dog Design and Construction in Portland, Oregon. The green building movement had not quite arrived but she recognized the importance of being a responsible builder, and put her client’s health and wellbeing at the forefront of her priorities. This would later parlay itself into an intense desire to be an active part of the green building community and ultimately lead to the transition from Mad Dog to GreenDog Design and Construction, a thriving business which she still heads.
In addition to her design and construction work, she co-founded KlinQ Investments in 2005. Working with partner Butch Klein, they were able to realize their dream of investing in and creating a totally green real estate portfolio. As a result of their tremendous enjoyment and satisfaction working together for a greater cause, The GreenVille Project became a natural evolution of this work.
When she is not knee deep in her busy work life, Jae uses her strong leadership skills to organize in the communities she lives in. Active in local politics, she is a seasoned fundraiser and has volunteered for numerous campaigns and candidates. She is a member of Friends of Trees, involved with Habitat for Humanity and a contributor to the American Humane Society. Noted for her passion and fiery style, she is committed to being a successful entrepreneur that cares about the world around her.