Jesse Nishinaga

Jesse Nishinaga brings nearly two decades of private sector experience—as an advisor to companies and as a people and project manager at some of the world’s largest corporations—and has expertise in corporate sustainability, business and human rights management, and retail finance and operations.

As program lead for the Human Rights & Business Initiative (HRBI), Jesse endeavors to serve the next generation of business managers and leaders by equipping them with the awareness and aptitude to incorporate human rights and sustainability principles into mainstream management practice. Prior to this role, Jesse was a senior consultant at Corporate Citizenship, where he advised clients on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. He also was a manager at Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), where he directed working groups, facilitated grant funded research, and developed strategies, policies, and tools based on internationally recognized frameworks, including the Global Reporting Initiative standard and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Jesse started his career working in a variety of corporate and retail positions at Gap Inc., Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo, and Nike. He also lived in Japan where he helped expand Gap Inc.’s international operations and founded Net Impact Tokyo, a platform for local professionals to share innovative ideas and best practices on making a positive impact on society through the power of business. Returning to the U.S., Jesse launched FairpayUSA.org, a knowledge hub with resources to help companies build the case for fair pay within their respective organizations and industries.

Jesse holds an M.B.A. and B.S. from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, where he focused on corporate responsibility and received a certificate in global management.