HOME IN THE WORLD

From a corporate gifting startup to family life abroad, Jen Sangster has always embraced the unexpected.

WHEN AUSTRALIAN NATIVE Jen Sangster first met her husband Will, it wasn’t in a classroom or at a party—it was through a house listing as a new university graduate in Melbourne. A friend mentioned he and his buddy were looking for a third roommate, and Sangster moved in.

“Will [the buddy and Sangster’s now husband] wasn’t so sure how having a girl in the house might change the dynamics,” she recalls with a laugh. “I think the boys thought the house might suddenly get a whole lot tidier. But having grown up with two older brothers, I knew how to hold my own. We all became such good friends.”

That friendship with Will turned into a marriage, three daughters, and, soon after, a life of adventure. Sangster grew up traveling thanks to her father’s career in the aviation industry, so a global outlook came naturally to her. After she and Will married, they seized the opportunity to live abroad, moving to Brussels for their first true expat experience.

“Europe was incredible. The travel was easy, but even simple things—like grocery shopping—were a challenge. I’ll never forget buying guinea fowl instead of chicken one day!” she says. “But that’s all part of the experience. Sometimes it’s the simplest things like shopping at the supermarket that remind you that you’re living in another culture.”

For the Sangsters, living abroad has been a chance to teach their young family about resilience and openness. “We want our girls to understand that the world is a small place—you just have to be brave enough to see it. Living overseas encourages empathy and a sense of global citizenship. That’s something unique they can carry with them.”

After years in the corporate gifting industry, Sangster joined a former colleague in launching Giftbee, a digital gifting platform designed to reduce waste and modernize the experience. “I was the first employee,” she explains. “We often work across five time zones, but I love the global collaboration and developing the brand identity and communication strategy.”

Though she has stepped into more of an advisory role since relocating from Brussels to Lake Forest last year, Sangster says the experience of working in a start-up and building a company across continents has been invaluable. “It’s amazing what you can do with technology and a good team.”

This fall, the Sangsters celebrated their first anniversary in Lake Forest, where they’ve embraced the local community wholeheartedly. Sangster volunteers with the District 67 executive APT, assisting with the Visiting Author Program, and supports the Spirit of 67 Foundation’s grants committee and the Everett Elementary Garden Club.

“It has been a dream to just be dropped into this incredible community,” she says. “When we were in Brussels, everyone was an expat. We loved it because we met so many different people from so many different places. But here in Lake Forest, we’re having a very authentic American experience and it’s so special. Starting fresh anywhere is a lot of work—everything you touch is new—but seeing so many people give their time, energy, and resources to improve different aspects of life here is truly inspiring. People always say it takes a village, and in Lake Forest, you see it in action. The school, local organizations, and countless volunteers provide so many ways to get involved and it’s wonderful to be part of it all.”

The Sangsters’ three daughters—Annabelle, Edwina, and Charlotte—are thriving and making the most of the many sports and activities Lake Forest has to offer. “They’re a tight little unit, and we are so proud of how they have settled into their new life,” Sangster says. “I always tell Will he’s going to be very well looked after with all these daughters.”

From family outings to the beach and at Ravinia to dinners at Le Colonial, Sangster is savoring everything Lake Forest and the surrounding communities have to offer. She has even taken up some new hobbies, from learning Mahjong at Gorton to playing pickleball through the Rec Center.

“I don’t think I’ve had a new hobby since I was a child,” she says, although she is a fervent learner and has a passion for learning. “But it’s been so much fun to try new things and meet people. That’s how you really integrate into a community—by showing up.”

For Sangster, life has always been about adventure, whether that’s moving across the world, building a global company, or settling into a new hometown.

“Relocation and transitions aren’t always easy, but together we’re a team,” she says of her and Will. “Our girls see that, too, and we encourage them to just go for it—whatever ‘it’ is. You never know what life will bring, and that’s the exciting part.”