Despite a lifelong love of data and numbers, the accounting scandals of the early aughts (remember Enron?) prompted Amanda LaGrange to reconsider a corporate career. She was drawn to the idea of something with a social mission, but nothing clicked until a friend started Tech Dump. The nonprofit provides skills and career paths for ex-offenders, hiring them to recycle and repurpose surplus electronics and e-waste — the fastest-growing garbage stream in the world.

LaGrange joined in 2013 as director of marketing, then became CEO two years later. The organization has processed 35 million pounds of gadgets and junk since its founding and now employs 71 people. “In addition to the environmental work, it’s the training ground for amazing humans who are often overlooked,” she says. The company spun off a retail outlet, Tech Discounts, in 2016 and hopes to expand throughout the Midwest and add national business partners.

This is the second of a five video profiles we’re launching as a part of the Grist 50 - our annual list of 50 people who are doing cool work in climate and the environment — artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and more. You can check out the full list here: https://grist.org/grist-50/2021/

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