Michael Martin

Described by Billboard magazine as the “Guru of live event greening”, Michael Martin is an innovator in business-based tech and social change campaigns leveraging culture for impact. He is the founder of several successful companies, including being CEO and Founder of Effect Partners and r.World, two purpose-driven organizations committed to creating global awareness of and meaningful change in environmental sustainability.

Effect Partners creates concepts or companies that become campaigns and then movements. For over 30 years Michael has helped to develop innovative sustainability strategies and campaigns for leading entities including Apple Computer, Live Nation, Toyota, UPS, Procter & Gamble, Target, Clif Bar, AEG, U2, Dave Matthews Band, and Jack Johnson. In addition, he has led the sustainability movement in the event and entertainment industries, and is known for introducing many of the greening practices used today.

Michael contributed to helping Earth Day become the world’s largest secular event, and developed the first-ever national global warming campaign with Ben & Jerry’s and Dave Matthews Band, uniting the nation’s top 20 environmental groups and putting the concept of climate change on the map.

Michael helped found a CO2 offset company, “Native Energy”, a chain of organic restaurants,”Peoples Organic Cafe”, a plant-based food marketing company called “Plantega”, and several other successful companies, most recently “r.World”. r.World offers r.Cup reusable cups, r.Ware reusable foodware, and future reuse product extensions, all powered by r.Turn, the company’s innovative inventory and environmental impact tracking app.

Founded in 2017, Michael started r.World to launch the concept of reuse in North America, with the support of globally recognized artists, festivals, and promoters, including U2, Dave Matthews Band, Rod Stewart, Jack Johnson, Maggie Rogers, Rolling Stones, Camp Flog Gnaw, Vans Warped Tour, AEG, and Live Nation. As the nation’s leading reuse platform, r.World has set the standard for integrity, credibility, impact and operational ease to accelerate reuse at scale. r.World’s mission is to build the national infrastructure for the reuse economy.

r.World partners with cities to build the infrastructure and services needed to deliver on widespread reuse. A key component: r.World’s innovative full-scale industrial “Wash Hub” facility. Designed in partnership with Ecolab – a world leader in planet-friendly sanitization – r.World’s proprietary washing and logistics facilities provide continuous reuse services to a wide variety of clients throughout Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC, and continues to grow.

Recently, Michael co-founded the Music Sustainability Association, a hyper-inclusive member driven association that facilitates systemic solutions to help the music industry integrate sustainability into its operations.

Michael currently sits on the Boards of MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, the Music Sustainability Association, and Peoples Organic Cafe. He is a 30-year member of Social Venture Network (now American Sustainable Business Network).