Ron Gonen

Ron is the Co-Founder and Managing Director 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 financials returns and tangible social impact.

Prior to the Closed Loop Fund, Ron was the Deputy Commissioner of Sanitation, Recycling and Sustainability for New York City. He joined the Bloomberg administration with the task of rebuilding NYC’s recycling program, managing NYC’s paper, metal, glass, plastic, textile waste, electronic waste organics as well as public policy and legislation.

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 being recognized 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 was a Henry Catto Fellow at the Aspen Institute, a past term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is currently on the Board of Directors at Net Impact and serves as an advisor to Sidewalk Labs (a Google venture focused on developing technologies for cities). Since 2010, he has personally invested in a number of early stage companies focused on merging strong financials returns and tangible social impact.

He holds patents in the recycling industry and rewards/loyalty industry.

Ron received an MBA from Columbia Business School.