Ron Gonen
Ron is the Co-Founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners, an investment platform that invests in sustainable consumer goods, recycling and the development of the circular economy. Investors include many of the world’s largest consumer goods companies and family offices interested in investments that provide strong financial returns and tangible social impact.Prior to Closed Loop Partners, Ron was the Deputy Commissioner of Sanitation in New York City for the Bloomberg Administration. He oversaw the collection and processing of NYC’s paper, metal, glass, plastic, textile waste, electronic waste, organics, and hazardous waste as well as public policy. In 2013, NRDC and Earth Day New York named Ron as the Public Official of the Year in New York City.
Ron has been an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School since 2010. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Social Enterprise Teaching Award for Excellence in Teaching.
From 2004-2010, Ron was the Co-Founder and CEO of RecycleBank. During his tenure as CEO, the company grew from an idea into a company that serviced over 50 cities and over 1 million households. RecycleBank was recognized with a number of business and environmental awards including the Philadelphia Sustainability Award, The Conference of Mayors — Public/Private Partnership of the Year Award and a Technology Pioneer award from the World Economic Forum.
Ron has been a recipient of a number of environmental and business awards including recognition as a ‘Champion of the Earth’ by the United Nations Environment Program which is the highest distinction for environmental protection given by the United Nations and recognizes outstanding visionaries and leaders in the fields of policy, science and entrepreneurship and the Medal of Excellence from Columbia University which recognizes alumnus under the age of 45 for excellence in scholarship, public service and professional life.
Ron started his career at Deloitte Consulting.
Ron was a Henry Catto Fellow at the Aspen Institute and past term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He holds technology and business method patents in the recycling industry.
Ron received an MBA from Columbia Business School.
147: Ron Gonen: Closed Loop Solutions
When I met Ron in business school, he and Recycle Bank, which he co-founded, were well regarded. He’s continued to grow since.
Beyond contributing into entrepreneurship in sustainability as an entrepreneur, he’s helped create policy, appears often in the media, and now invests.
In our conversation you’ll hear on the personal side his passion. On the business side you’ll hear the opportunities to start businesses and solve problems are increasing — from the sounds of it, dramatically.
He puts his money where his mouth is. If you came here for examples of leadership in the environment, I’d say he sounds like a role model. He achieves business success. It emerges from transparency, which creates, as I hear it, trust, joy, and liberation where others might feel guilty.
Restricted on connection, so sorry for connection problems.
His success reminds me of Sandy Reisky‘s episodes.
Read the transcript.