John currently serves as co-founder, Chairman and CEO of ERI, the largest material resource recovery, ITAD and electronics recycling / circularity company in the US. He also co-founded RecycleNation, the globally #1 ranked online recycling resource in the world today. He is the host of the Impact Podcast, a Webby Award winning sustainability discussion program reaching 200,000 listeners each week.
Under John’s stewardship, ERI has become the first and only company in its industry to achieve carbon neutrality at all its facilities nationwide, and the first to achieve SOC 2 (Types I and II) certification for security and data protection. The company has the capacity to process more than a billion pounds of electronic waste annually at its eight certified locations, serving every zip code in the United States. John has led the company’s global expansion, starting with the announcement of ERI Japan, with launches in 12 additional countries planned within the next two years. ERI’s mission is to protect people, the planet and privacy.
This year, John received the Distinguished Service Award from the REMADE Institute for his leadership towards a circular economy. He was named to Goldman Sachs’ “100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs list” at its annual Builders + Innovators Summit and was named one of the planet’s “Top 100 Recycling Stars” by Recycling International Magazine for four years in a row. He has been named the Clean Tech Entrepreneur of the Year for Northern California by Ernst & Young and has been officially named to City & State New York’s prestigious “Responsible 100” list in multiple years. He is also the recipient of New York City’s “Above & Beyond” Innovator Award.
A serial entrepreneur responsible for co-founding Homeboy Industries, FinancialAid.com, Engage and many other impactful organizations – John is also a sought-after speaker, panelist and electronic recycling, cybersecurity and ITAD industry authority. Annually he speaks across the world in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. He has also authored or been featured in articles on the industry for Recycling Today, Resource Recycling, Waste360 and various business journals and regularly provides his expert knowledge to news media, including NBC’s The Today Show, CBS News, CNBC, BBC News, TIME, Fortune, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Newsweek (multiple times), The International Business Times (multiple times), Security Ledger, GreenBiz, LifeWire, City & State New York, Los Angeles Business Journal, IEEE Spectrum, Alternative Energy Magazine, Business Insider Africa and VerdeXChange News among many others.
A former professional harness racehorse driver, John became the youngest driver in harness racing history to set a world’s record when he was 17.
No stranger to “recycling lives” and serving up second chances, in 1993 Shegerian co-founded Homeboy Tortillas and Homeboy Industries, which continues to serve as a paradigm for urban renewal in America. Shegerian is also the creator of the popular Bulldog Root Beer brand, which he launched in 1997. Shegerian then co-founded FinancialAid.com, filling the financial aid gap for higher education and generating one of the most successful student loan companies in the country. Shegerian founded Addicted.com in 2005, one of the largest web resources for individuals seeking help for addictions online. The website boasts a database of over 20,000 addiction centers across the United States.
He is also co-founder of RecycleNation, a dynamic recycling and green living resource that simplifies the recycling process on a national level with a comprehensive, interactive recycling location database.
Shegerian is also the co-founder and CMO of The Marketing Masters, a digital marketing and web development company that builds effective, ROI-driven marketing campaigns for businesses large and small. He is also Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Engage, a web-based platform designed to digitize the process of booking talent online for unique personalized appearances.
Shegerian was named the Clean Tech Entrepreneur of the Year for Northern California by Ernst & Young and was officially named to City & State New York’s prestigious “Responsible 100” list last year. This year, he received New York City’s “Above & Beyond” Innovator Award.
