Mark Nathan (BA ’03)
Executive Director | Three Lifetimes Media
Mark Nathan is a life-long Chicagoan, Loyola University Chicago alum, husband, and father. He’s the Executive Director for Three Lifetimes Media, an author, an actor, and an entrepreneur. He has accomplished so much of what he set his mind to and achieved just as many milestones.
And yet, all of that still paints an incomplete picture of Mark without understanding the core of what he stands for: collaboration.
“Learning how collaborative success is through the Theatre Department at Loyola University Chicago really laid the foundation for my career. While of course individual drive and effort plays a huge role in what you can do, at the end of the day, success is a team sport; whatever you do will always require collaboration, mentorship, and guidance.”
Originally having planned to pursue a career in medicine, the westside native landed at Loyola as a Theatre major and Education minor, with the institution’s faith-based education and access to the city as the driving forces behind his decision. However, he soon discovered a third component that made the University stand out among its Chicago peers.
“I loved the smaller class sizes and the direct access students got to professors right away – I think that created a much more personalized education experience for me. For example, when I started auditioning for opportunities outside of Loyola and asked my professors for advice, I got very real feedback because they really knew me, which was pretty impactful.”
It wasn’t just leadership from professors that moved the needle for Mark either.
“I’m a big believer in mentorship, especially when it comes to interacting with folks that are maybe only a step or two ahead of you in life; to me, there’s so much value in a big brother, big sister type of relationship and I had the pleasure of being exposed to a lot of that within the Theatre Department. I was able to both learn from and collaborate with so many people that by the time I graduated, I had actually done more professional shows than I had at Loyola.”
But his collegiate successes didn’t stop at acting opportunities. The Rambler also helped launch various afterschool programs and a Chicago-based film festival, which tapped into his entrepreneurial side.
“I was very involved in afterschool tutoring at Swift Elementary and started an after school drama club there, in collaboration with the Loyola Department of Education, followed by starting a Summer Arts Program with the Chicago Park District at Armory. And those things really set the stage, for both the idea and skill sets needed, to start the Chicago Collegiate Film Festival. We launched it after 90 days, in collaboration with local businesses and corporate sponsors, taking the best work from students across the city—and that experience ultimately paved the way for my next 20 years.”
Upon graduating, Mark worked in corporate sales, built a large direct sales business, worked with startups in the manufacturing and HR spaces, and even wrote a book called The Delusion of Passion: Why Millennials Struggle to Find Success. In fact, it was only two years ago that he returned to the entertainment world, first via a Dallas-based media startup and then landing him back in Chicago with his own venture, Three Lifetimes Media.
“’Christmas in Chicago’, our first feature film, means so much to me because it really is a love letter to small business ownership and my city. It was so important to work with real businesses here and let them showcase themselves throughout the movie. And in continuing to develop new ideas, I’m determined to make Chicago the film hub it has the potential of being, including supporting those local filmmakers who stick their flag in the ground here, instead of chasing work elsewhere.”
A full-circle aspiration, given how and where Mark got his start.
“The things I learned in the business world, actually echoed a lot of what I took away from Loyola—having a strong team around you is everything. That is truly almost the only thing that matters. You could have a mediocre idea but a great team and make something beautiful but if you have a phenomenal idea and a horrible team, nothing will get done. It’s so important to have common ground… goals, vision, execution, and that collaboration is what our company stands for.”
Mark Nathan is a life-long Chicagoan, Loyola University Chicago alum, husband, and father. He’s the Executive Director for Three Lifetimes Media, an author, an actor, and an entrepreneur. He has accomplished so much of what he set his mind to and achieved just as many milestones.
And yet, all of that still paints an incomplete picture of Mark without understanding the core of what he stands for: collaboration.
“Learning how collaborative success is through the Theatre Department at Loyola University Chicago really laid the foundation for my career. While of course individual drive and effort plays a huge role in what you can do, at the end of the day, success is a team sport; whatever you do will always require collaboration, mentorship, and guidance.”
Originally having planned to pursue a career in medicine, the westside native landed at Loyola as a Theatre major and Education minor, with the institution’s faith-based education and access to the city as the driving forces behind his decision. However, he soon discovered a third component that made the University stand out among its Chicago peers.
“I loved the smaller class sizes and the direct access students got to professors right away – I think that created a much more personalized education experience for me. For example, when I started auditioning for opportunities outside of Loyola and asked my professors for advice, I got very real feedback because they really knew me, which was pretty impactful.”
It wasn’t just leadership from professors that moved the needle for Mark either.
“I’m a big believer in mentorship, especially when it comes to interacting with folks that are maybe only a step or two ahead of you in life; to me, there’s so much value in a big brother, big sister type of relationship and I had the pleasure of being exposed to a lot of that within the Theatre Department. I was able to both learn from and collaborate with so many people that by the time I graduated, I had actually done more professional shows than I had at Loyola.”
But his collegiate successes didn’t stop at acting opportunities. The Rambler also helped launch various afterschool programs and a Chicago-based film festival, which tapped into his entrepreneurial side.
“I was very involved in afterschool tutoring at Swift Elementary and started an after school drama club there, in collaboration with the Loyola Department of Education, followed by starting a Summer Arts Program with the Chicago Park District at Armory. And those things really set the stage, for both the idea and skill sets needed, to start the Chicago Collegiate Film Festival. We launched it after 90 days, in collaboration with local businesses and corporate sponsors, taking the best work from students across the city—and that experience ultimately paved the way for my next 20 years.”
Upon graduating, Mark worked in corporate sales, built a large direct sales business, worked with startups in the manufacturing and HR spaces, and even wrote a book called The Delusion of Passion: Why Millennials Struggle to Find Success. In fact, it was only two years ago that he returned to the entertainment world, first via a Dallas-based media startup and then landing him back in Chicago with his own venture, Three Lifetimes Media.
“’Christmas in Chicago’, our first feature film, means so much to me because it really is a love letter to small business ownership and my city. It was so important to work with real businesses here and let them showcase themselves throughout the movie. And in continuing to develop new ideas, I’m determined to make Chicago the film hub it has the potential of being, including supporting those local filmmakers who stick their flag in the ground here, instead of chasing work elsewhere.”
A full-circle aspiration, given how and where Mark got his start.
“The things I learned in the business world, actually echoed a lot of what I took away from Loyola—having a strong team around you is everything. That is truly almost the only thing that matters. You could have a mediocre idea but a great team and make something beautiful but if you have a phenomenal idea and a horrible team, nothing will get done. It’s so important to have common ground… goals, vision, execution, and that collaboration is what our company stands for.”