Josh Knauer

Current

President & CEO at Rhiza Labs
Owner at Knauer Group
Board Member at Institute for Global Communications

Founder & Board Member at EnviroLink Network
Founder & Board Member at EnviroLink Network

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Past

Director of Advanced Development at MAYA Design
Founder & CEO at Green Marketplace, Inc.

Education

Carnegie Mellon University

Recommended

4 people have recommended Josh

Connections

350 connections

Industry

Marketing and Advertising

Websites

Josh Knauer’s Summary

Josh has been a social entrepreneur for the past 20 years, creating and leading successful organizations in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. His ability to spot emerging trends in technology and how they can be used for the betterment of society and the environment have caused him to be considered a leading expert in the field. He’s been featured in Time, Fortune, Newsweek and Wired magazines, and was even named a New Media Hero by the Utne Reader.

Prior to heading up MAYA Design’s Information Commons research effort, Josh founded and was the Executive Director of the EnviroLink Network, the Internet’s largest and most complete environmental information resource, in 1991. He went on to become the Founder and CEO of GreenMarketplace.com, an e-commerce site for socially and environmentally responsible products, services, and information. In 2002, Knauer sold GreenMarketplace.com to Gaiam.

Josh lives in Pittsburgh, PA with his wife, children and dog. When not starting up a new business, he can be found in his garden tending organic and heirloom vegetables or out hiking in the woods.

Josh Knauer’s Specialties:

Early stage start-ups, marketing, strategy, communications and business planning. Focus on environmentally and socially responsible business practices.

Josh Knauer’s Experience

President & CEO

Rhiza Labs

(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Computer Software industry)

April 2008 — Present (1 year 8 months)

Rhiza Labs creates software that helps non-profits and government agencies share information, understand community needs, track community and environmental assets and collaborate around shared collections of data. Leveraging the power of the Information Commons, Rhiza Labs builds award-winning open systems that make it easy to share data community-wide. Whether you are a small town, a non-profit organization or a community of practice, Rhiza Labs has a solution for you. More info: http://www.rhizalabs.com
Owner

Knauer Group

(Partnership; 1-10 employees; Management Consulting industry)

November 2002 — Present (7 years 1 month)
Board Member

Institute for Global Communications

(Non-Profit; 1-10 employees; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

August 2001 — Present (8 years 4 months)
Founder & Board Member

EnviroLink Network

(Non-Profit; 1-10 employees; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

September 1991 — Present (18 years 3 months)
Founder & Board Member

EnviroLink Network

(Marketing and Advertising industry)

1991 — Present (18 years )
Director of Advanced Development

MAYA Design

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry)

May 2003 — April 2008 (5 years )

Commercialize in-house research
Founder & CEO

Green Marketplace, Inc.

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Retail industry)

March 1998 — October 2002 (4 years 8 months)

Built an acclaimed e-commerce site for socially and environmentally responsible products, services, and information that blended content, community, and commerce. Green Marketplace was one of the first online retailers to screen its products for environmental and social concerns, and rejecting products and companies that didn't treat people and the planet with respect. The company operated with a triple bottom-line philosophy, ensuring every major business decision was good for profit, people and the planet. Green Marketplace was sold to Gaiam in 2002.

Josh Knauer’s Education

Carnegie Mellon University

BA , Environmental Ethics and Policy , August 1991 — May 1995

Additional Information

Josh Knauer’s Websites:

Josh Knauer’s Groups:

Social Venture Network (SVN), Carnegie Mellon Alumni, American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T), Information Architecture Institute, NTEN, Temple Sinai, Penn Future