John Shegerian
John S. Shegerian (born November 16, 1962, in Queens, New York) is an American entrepreneur, environmental and social issues activist, international public speaker and the Chairman and CEO of Electronic Recyclers International® (ERI). Established in 2002, ERI is an Electronic Waste collector and recycler, specializing in the environmentally safe and socially responsible dismantling of electronic items such as computers, televisions, monitors, cell phones, and other unwanted or obsolete electronic items. ERI is largely recognized as the leading recycler of electronics in the state of California and one of the largest in North America. Shegerian, like ERI, is based in Fresno, California.
Prior to his successful venture with ERI, Shegerian was co-founder and CMO of www.finanicialaid.com, one of the most successful student loan companies in the country. While at financialaid.com, Shegerian created www.rateyourcampus.com (a college student polling and feedback community) which then led to the creation of www.campusdirt.com (which evolved into the most trafficked college search engine). Later, www.campusclix.com was created and became one of the first college social networking properties on the web.
In October 2004 Shegerian and his partners sold financialaid.com and all the aforementioned affiliated properties to Education Lending Group, which was purchased for $400M in February 2005 by CIT (NYSE: CIT). In the website business sector, Shegerian went on to create and Addicted.com, a comprehensive, interactive website dedicated to helping those struggling with the disease of addiction (see below).
For his work with ERI, Shegerian was named the Clean Tech Entrepreneur of the Year for Northern California by Ernst & Young in 2008 and is a national finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year honors.
A "Social Entrepreneur"
In his presentations to business, environmental and social forums around the world, Shegerian has repeatedly urged individuals and organizations to engage in socially beneficial entrepreneurialism, often citing his own achievements as an example. Regular themes of his presentations are "getting in touch with your green DNA," referring to inherent ways individuals and businesses can save money while being environmentally conscious, and "recycling lives," referring to the benefits of giving the formerly incarcerated a second chance at a career. ERI presently employs more than 60 formerly incarcerated individuals.
Shegerian presently serves alongside Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a member of the California Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth and was recently appointed by Schwarzenegger to serve on the Governor's Gang Advisory Committee, focused on providing State legislators with guidance pertaining to policies geared toward the reduction of gang and youth violence.
In 1993, he co-founded Homeboy Tortillas and Homeboy Industries, which continues to serve as a paradigm for urban renewal in America and was awarded the New York Stock Exchange "Building for the Future" Award for creating new jobs and opportunities for gang-impacted youth in post-riot Los Angeles.
Shegerian is also the recipient of the "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award," presented by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Committee to businessmen working to provide compassionate solutions for society's problems.
Known to tout his trademarked slogan, "Green is Good," Shegerian is involved with a number of environmental organizations. He serves as an executive board member of the Alliance Toward Harnessing Global Opportunities, as a board member of the Coalition for Clean Air, as a corporate board member of the Environmental Media Association, and as a board member on the VerdeXchange for Innovations and Developments in the Green Economy.
Shegerian also serves on the Fundraising Committee and as an Ambassador of Education at California State University at Fresno. Shegerian also serves on the Board of the Boys and Girls Club of Fresno and on the Media Relations steering committee for the State of California's Integrated Waste Management Board.
The Rise of ERI
Starting out as an investment in a failing electronic scrap recycling business, Shegerian and his team turned ERI around, fiscally, in less than twelve months.
ERI has in the last few years emerged as the most prolific recycler of e-waste in California, and among the most prolific in the nation. ERI opened its first e-waste recycling facility in January 2003 in Vista, CA.
Presently, from its current headquarters in Fresno and its East Coast hub in Gardner, Massachusetts, ERI processes approximately 10 million pounds electronics per month. ERI is currently finalizing plans to expand to several other states geographically dispersed around the US.
Shegerian's "Green DNA" Philosophy - and Leading by Example
ERI is a totally green organization – from the fleet of hybrid vehicles used by the sales team to the electric forklifts used on the shop floor to the methodology used to recycle the hundreds of tons of electronic waste that pass through the company’s doors. Even the furniture used in house is made from recycled materials.
ERI utilizes the most technologically efficient CRT crushing system in the recycling business, capable of crushing a CRT every 3 to 5 seconds. Fed by a system of inter-warehouse CRT conveyers, ERI's system is hermetically sealed and OSHA approved.
Approved by both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Toxic Substance Control as an authorized outlet to crush CRT's and other covered electronic devices, ERI tracks all e-waste entering its facilities through a unique bar code tracking system capable of locating e-waste at all stages from receiving reports, to reconciliation reports, to downstream vendors. This assures that all e-Waste received by ERI is 100% recycled and traceable. This "cradle to grave" tracking method ensures that e-waste does not end up in the hands of other companies, local landfills, and is not illegally exported to other nations.
Certificates of Destruction are issued on all e-waste recycled by ERI. These certificates release ERI's clients from any liability after sending their e-waste to ERI for recycling, thus creating a level of comfort for clients knowing that their e-waste is being disposed of lawfully and ethically. Video Verification of e-waste destruction is yet another service that ERI offers its clients, providing additional assurance that their confidential or proprietary information will be 100% destroyed.
"Cradle to Grave" bar code tracking system allows all materials to be tracked throughout all stages of the recycling process. This system insures compliance with environmental regulations as well as the privacy, satisfaction, and integrity of ERI's clientele.
Certificates of Assured Destruction are provided on all e-waste shipments, assuring clients that their e-waste is 100% recycled and is done so ethically and lawfully. Video Verification of destruction provides clients with live video data of their e-waste destruction, removing all liability from clients and assuring that confidential information will never end up in anyone else's hands.
Speaking Engagements
Aside from regular appearances as a commentator for newspapers, magazines, television and radio, many organizations and conferences have invited Shegerian to speak Among the groups Shegerian has been invited to speak to, usually sharing information about green business practices or social entrepreneurialism, include:
- Alliance Toward Harnessing Global Opportunities Conference (ATHGO)
- Business of Green Conference (UCLA)
- California Association for Local Economic Development
- California Black Chamber of Commerce
- California Resource Recovery Association (Opal Financial Group)
- Canaccord Adams Annual Global Growth Conference
- Chartwell Waste Industry Summit
- Clean Technology Conference (Think Equity Partners)
- Coalition for Clean Air
- Collegiate Entrepreneurs Association
- Delta Sigma Pi
- Earth Fest
- Earth Matters Conference (NYU)
- EI Digest's Annual Gathering
- Energy Efficient IT & the Bottom Line (Ziff-Davis)
- Envirobiz Special & Universal Waste Management Summit
- Environmental Forum: HazWaste 2008 (SMH Capital)
- E-Scrap Conference
- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Trade Mission: Canada
- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Trade Mission: China
- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Trade Mission: Mexico
- Green Innovation Venture Capital Summit
- GreenXchange Global Marketplace Conference
- Growing Local Economies Conference (CALED)
- International Global Third Way: Becoming One With the Environment Conference (United Nations Headquarters)
- JMP Securities Research Conference
- Leigh Steinberg’s Green Super Bowl Party
- Milken Institute Global Conference
- Milken Institute “State of the State” Conference
- National Summit on Entrepreneurship (Association for Enterprise Opportunity)
- Needham Growth Conference
- Ready, Set, Recycle Investor Conference (Cannacord Adams)
- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Committee
- SBI E2 Capital Securities Conference in Hong Kong
- Sustainable Brands Conference – International
- Sustainable Brands Conference – USA
- Swing For the Green (Toshiba)
- Think Green Summit (Think Equity Partners)
- Tulare County Economic Development Corporation
Addicted.com
Shegerian has spoken publicly and on national television news programs about his past struggles with addiction and how he overcame them. He is the founder of Addicted.com, a website which provides addiction recovery resources and tools for addicts, family members and friends throughout the Internet community. It provides help to its visitors through online tools such as a Zip Code Locator, which can locate help nearby, including addition treatment centers, counselors, doctors and psychologists.
Originally designed as an addiction treatment referral service, Addicted.com now provides many other features including online forums, social networking and professional advice through Q&A's. Shegerian said his goal is to maintain a well-known site for people to visit when they need advice, answers, assistance or just someone to talk with. Common addictions our visitors deal with include drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, over-eating, gaming and shopping.
Family
Shegerian is married to Tammy Shegerian, now serving as ERI's Chief Operating Officer. Together they live in Fresno and have two children, Cortney (born 1986) and Tyler (born 1992).
