Nathaniel Lee
Nathaniel Lee
Class Year
’18
Current home
Shokie, Ill.
Major(s)
Physics
Current Position
Co-Founder of Creative Eats,
Nathaniel Lee ’18 is the Co-Founder of Eat Creativ, a food distribution company in Chicago. Nathaniel Lee co-founded this company with Carthage graduate Ryan McGuire ’16 and worked with Executive Chef Charles Mok to create novelty foods. Some of these items include chocolate spoons and gluten-free walnut taco shells.
What have you enjoyed most about your career?
“What I’ve appreciated most about entrepreneurship so far is that it has pushed me out of my comfort zone. Entrepreneurship is such a diverse space, and I’ve really enjoyed the process of learning new skills, attacking new problems, and trying to figure out how to be the best entrepreneur, but more importantly, the best person I can be. Even in my short time as an entrepreneur, I’ve run into obstacles I never knew existed, and I’ve had to start the process of re-wiring my brain to tackle new challenges - personal and external. However, I have found it to be an incredibly rewarding process, and overcoming even the smallest challenges have yielded some of my largest successes so far.”
How did Carthage prepare you?
“I would argue that the most important aspect of my time at Carthage was the diversity in my experiences. For as much time as I spent studying for classes and working on space science projects, I also competed as a student-athlete on the golf team, held on-campus jobs, was active in other organizations on campus such as the Asian Pacific American Coalition of Carthage (APACC) and Delta Upsilon social fraternity, and went on two J-term trips out of the country. Being a part of so many different communities on campus allowed me to interact with a variety of different people, express myself in different ways, overcome different types of adversity, and learn how to work on and lead teams. This diversity has played a crucial role in preparing me for the variety of challenges faced in entrepreneurship.”
What's your favorite Carthage memory?
“My fondest Carthage memories will be the time I spent building relationships with people. Whether they be friends, teammates, coaches, professors, advisors, bosses, or others, I built a multitude of lasting relationships at Carthage that I will never forget.”
Tips for current Carthage students?
“One, try to see the value in everything you do. If you don’t see any value at the surface, dig deeper and create value for yourself. For example, I believe any class and any homework assignment can help further you in your career and/or in your life as long as you invest the right time and effort.
“Two, push yourself out of your comfort zone every chance you get. You’ll always remember doing things you never thought you’d do, meeting people you never thought you’d meet, and going places you never thought you’d go.
“Three, don’t forget to relax and enjoy yourself. It’s easy to get distracted by activities, studying, athletics, research, jobs, etc. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is eat a bowl of popcorn on the couch and watch Star Trek with your buddies.”