A Kn-ACK for Business

In our 20s, how many of us can call ourselves a CEO? How many of us can call ourselves a female CEO for that matter? For Nantucket native Renee Perkins, being part of that exclusive club is something she was seemingly destined to achieve. 

Growing up on Nantucket, working alongside her parents at their small family run business, Perkins had first hand insight on what it takes for a business to not only survive, but also thrive. “My parents own Shearwater Excursions, the primary harbor tour company on Nantucket,” say Perkins. “From a really young age I was helping them with their marketing, figuring out how to grow their company and I just fell in love with it.”

When it came time for Perkins to leave Nantucket to attend Bentley University, she knew she wanted to work towards her goal of helping other small businesses grow. In 2020, Perkins graduated with two Bachelor of Science Degrees in Marketing and Environmental Sustainability. That May, Perkins started her digital marketing agency, Nantucket Island Marketing. “I always knew I wanted to start my own company, but I was also looking to get some professional work experience post college. During that time–peak COVID–a lot of companies went on hiring freezes and there really wasn’t a lot of opportunities out there.” Perkins says she found herself stuck in a lease in Boston, with no job, and no way of paying rent. “As I started connecting with businesses in the area, more and more interest came naturally from other small businesses. That’s when I decided to make it official. I got an LLC, created a website, and started a baseline of services.” ...