Keynote Speakers

Tom SzakyTom Szarky

Founder and CEO,TERRACYCLE, INC.

 

About Speaker :

Tom Szaky is founder and Chief Executive Officer of TerraCycle, Inc. TerraCycle enables consumers to collect waste which it then upcycles into thousands of various consumer products that are sold at the world's biggest retailers from Wal-Mart to Whole Foods. TerraCycle has been named the producer of most eco-friendly products in America, has won over 100 environmental and social awards, received the Home Depot Environmental stewardship award twice, been featured in Wal-Mart's sustainability report and been repeatedly named the ultimate eco-friendly brand.

As a freshman, Tom left Princeton University to found TerraCycle, building a company that has doubled in size every year since inception becoming the 233rd fastest growing company in America. Tom has won over 50 awards for entrepreneurship, blogs for Treehugger and Inc Magazine, has recently published a book called "Revolution in a Bottle" and is the star of National Geogrphic Channels hit TV show, "Garbage Moguls."

Today TerraCycle, through partnerships with virtually all major CPG companies from Unilever to Kraft, operates in over 5 countries, has over 10 million people engaged in its waste collection programs, has collected over 2 billion pieces of garbage and donated over $500,000 to charities to collect that waste. In addition, TerraCycle products are not only made from waste but are also available at over 20,000 big box stores globally sustaining sales of over 20 million dollars. TerraCycle has been featured in virtually every major media outlet from "60 Minutes" to the Wall Street Journal (5 times) and is on its way to help eliminate in the idea of waste!
 

CNBC Interview of Tom Szaky

 

Jason Duff
Founder & CEO, Community Storage & Properties, Ltd and COMSTOR Outdoor, Ltd., Columbus, Ohio.

 

About Speaker:

Jason DuffIn September, I (Jason)  traveled to Tanzania and Rwanda working for a Global microfinance firm - Opportunity International www.opportunity.org .    This trip allowed me to see how microcredit  (small loans less than $200) are changing the lives of others and giving the working poor a chance to succeed.
 
I started my company (Community Storage & Properties, Ltd) when I was 17 years old to help redevelop my home town because of the changes in the economy and the need for revitalization to help create jobs and opportunities for others.  You can see the power of turning an empty building into a viable business is very transformative.  What I have learned from my experience as a entrepreneur and active member in my community has been extremely valuable as I find ways to serve the Global community.  
 
At 18 years old, I bought my first bank building.  Yes, it may sound crazy, but I bought an empty and abandoned bank branch and successfully recruited a new community minded bank to lease the building from my company.     With the building filled, and a new bank in town, the business community came to life with the access to credit and business banking services.   So did the other neighboring real estate projects that I invested in surrounding the bank.  The same needs and opportunities exist in communities and businesses all around the world.  Issues like infrastructure, access to credit, entrepreneurial spirit.   These are all areas that we can help and serve and make a lot of money doing so.    Here are some videos that I would like to incorporate into the presentation talking about my journey and insights about the needs to solve some of the world’s greatest problems.