Atlanta, GA, Oct. 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nate Morris, the founder and CEO of Rubicon, has earned the prestigious designation as a Fulbright Specialist Scholar, a program run by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Rubicon is a technology innovator in the waste and recycling industry.
“Rubicon’s model for improving waste efficiency will serve to teach and inspire future leaders,” said Heather Nauert, former acting Undersecretary for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy and Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State. “Nate will be an excellent ambassador for American innovation.”
Morris will serve a three-year term as a Fulbright Specialist Scholar once the program’s initiatives resume. Because of COVID-19, its activities have been suspended until the U.S. Department of State determines it is safe to resume operations.
“It is an honor to represent the United States and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board to share best ideas and practices as it relates to entrepreneurship and the environment,” said Morris. “It is a prestigious and iconic program.”
“I welcome the opportunity to share my experiences creating a mission-driven business and working with some of the world’s leading visionaries, business leaders, and investors with my host institution,” said Morris. “These lessons will be valuable to budding entrepreneurs looking to use business to solve some of the most pressing challenges in their country.”
The Fulbright Specialist Program, part of the larger Fulbright Program, was established in 2001 by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program pairs highly qualified U.S. academics and professionals with host institutions abroad to share their expertise, strengthen institutional linkages, hone their skills, gain international experience, and learn about other cultures while building capacity at their overseas host institutions.
Specialists, who represent a wide range of professional and academic disciplines, are competitively selected to join the Fulbright Specialist Roster based on their knowledge, skill sets, and ability to make a significant contribution to projects overseas. Those individuals that have been approved to join the Fulbright Specialist Roster are then eligible to be matched with approved projects designed by foreign host institutions from more than 150 countries and other areas. Once abroad, Specialists partner with their host institution to conduct project activities in support of the host institution’s priorities and goals.
The Fulbright Specialist Program aims to provide a short-term, on-demand resource to international host institutions, giving them greater flexibility in how they participate with the Fulbright program. Specialists are strongly encouraged to continue to work with host institutions in the years following their initial exchange, creating opportunities for ongoing cooperation and consultancies.
Of those who have participated in the program, 86 have received the Pulitzer Prize; 75 have been MacArthur Fellows; 60 have received a Nobel Prize; 37 have served as heads of state or governments; 10 have been elected to the U.S. Congress; and one has served as secretary general of the United Nations.
Morris, an entrepreneur from Kentucky, is passionate in the belief that innovation in the technology sector can be effective in eliminating waste in all its forms and, at long last, address the global threat posed by waste. He is a passionate advocate for “American Innovation” and the key role that must play in developing a sustainable American infrastructure in a post COVID-19 world.
Founded with a $10,000 line of credit, Rubicon now operates in 20 countries on 5 continents. The company helps Fortune 500 organizations, main street businesses, and municipalities around the world move toward zero waste. Under Morris’s leadership as Chairman and CEO, Rubicon has become a catalyst for groundbreaking change across the waste management sector. Rubicon has been recognized as “One of the World’s Most Innovative Companies” by Fast Company and as an “Industry Disruptor” by Inc. Magazine.
A ninth-generation Kentuckian, Morris was born in Lexington and raised by a single mother with help from his grandmother and grandfather, an Army veteran and former President of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 862.
Morris was the first Kentuckian to be named to Fortune Magazine’s “40 under 40” list and to be recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He is also the youngest inductee ever to the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.
About Rubicon
Rubicon is a software company that provides smart waste and recycling solutions for businesses and governments worldwide. Using technology to drive environmental innovation, the company helps turn businesses into more sustainable enterprises, and neighborhoods into greener and smarter places to live and work. Rubicon’s mission is to end waste, in all of its forms, by helping its partners find economic value in their waste streams and confidently execute on their sustainability goals. Learn more at www.rubicon.com.
Rubicon’s inaugural Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, Toward a Future Without Waste, can be found at www.rubicon.com/esg-report/.