Lexington, KY, Nov. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nate Morris, the Founder of Morris Industries, is the subject of a new George Talks Business video interview with Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the George Washington University School of Business.
The George Talks Business series is a series of interviews with notable alumni and respected thought leaders in the business, government and nonprofit arenas. Guests share insights on technology, leadership, global developments, ethics, and other relevant topics. The program features a host of leaders in their respective fields, with past guests including David Rubenstein, co-founder of the Carlyle Group, and Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank.
Morris and Mehrotra spoke about business, entrepreneurship, how to raise capital, the trend of Environmental Social Governance (ESG), and more in the wide-ranging interview.
Morris is the founder of Morris Industries, a Lexington, Kentucky-based conglomerate that is reimagining the industrial economy. His passion to solve the environmental threats posed by global waste was pivotal in his founding of Rubicon, a software company focused on waste and recycling, and the signature asset of Morris Industries. 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.
In the interview, Morris gives insight into the creation of Rubicon.
"Waste is a massive industry,” Morris said. “Even if we were just a little bit right we could have a tremendous impact on the environmental movement, and help reframe debate over the environment."
Morris said Rubicon’s roots date back to 2008, amidst the economic turmoil of that year.
"Right after the crash of 2008, we got started when most people were running for cover,” he said. “That is the time to take big risks. We are living in a pandemic right now. Now is the time to be bold and take action, and I believe the market will reward that action. We need thought leaders to step up and get the economy moving again. Even in the worst of times, great things can happen."
Morris is a George Washington University alumnus. “George Washington University was a magical experience for me as a student,” he said. “Getting to go to school in Washington, DC, was a dream come true for me.”
Morris also described how he and his wife Jane Mosbacher Morris founded the Morris Foundation, charitable organization that helps with issues of rural poverty, education for women and girls, and veterans’ issues.
“We have been so fortunate,” said Morris. “I would say that only in America can you make money with garbage.”
Due to COVID-19, George Talks is currently being produced virtually, and streamed digitally at: https://business.gwu.edu/george-talks-business