Business Leaders

Jake Barton is the Founder of Local Projects, an ‘experience design’ firm for public spaces. Named a top entrepreneur by Crain’s in 2013, Jake caught public attention with his work on the September 11th Memorial. In this in-depth interview, Jake explains how necessity drove him to become an entrepreneur; defends the opinions of the ‘uninitiated’ over the experts; argues that success can make you "brittle"; and talks through the evolution of his career, including the highs and lows.