Bridging commerce and social responsibility

By Alik Hovsepian

To John Shegerian, altruism is the first order of business

From being on welfare to being the chairman and ceo of a multi-million-dollar corporation, John Shegerian is a savvy, multi-business man who gives back to his community by giving people a second chance and by doing more than his fair share of saving the planet. He is an exceptional speaker and really inspires the people he comes across to be all they can be.

"Every time you want to give up or someone says no to you or your dream, just repeat these three words over and over again: Yes I Can. Yes I Can. Yes I Can!" Shegerian said.

And yes he can! At 45, Shegerian is the chairman and ceo of Electronic Recyclers, the largest e-waste recycler in North America. He is the founder of addicted.com, financialaid.com, campusDirt.com, Homeboy Industries, and former co-owner of Bulldog Brewing company, which quickly became the most successful microbrewery in Central California. He has a book and movie deal in the works, owns approximately 5,000 Web sites, and sits on the boards of a number of nonprofit organizations. He is invited to speak at no less than 60 events annually worldwide, and last year spoke in front of the entire United Nations. On top of it all, he travels between 4,000-6,000 miles a week for business and has no plans to slow down.

Shegerian intends to follow in the footsteps of his hero, Kirk Kerkorian, who, at 90 years old, is still making the most brilliant deals in the world and gives back to the Armenian community. Shegerian said of Kerkorian, "He is the perfect example of 'when you retire you expire,' and I don't intend to retire either." He continues, "It's not in our Armenian dna to retire. Armenians love to work."

Commenting on his phenomenal success, Shegerian said the excitement is a little overwhelming when you make your first million or two, but that quickly passes. "The real key," he said, "is to be more humble as you become more successful and more attention accrues with that."

Humble Beginnings

His growing success wasn't handed to him. Shegerian was born and raised in Queens, New York. His family was on welfare while he was growing up. At the age of 10, he took his first job, sweeping floors at a local dry-cleaning store, and hasn't stopped working since. When he was 16, he was the youngest and the only Armenian harness driver and trainer at the time. When he was only 18, Shegerian became the youngest driver in harness racing history to ever set a world record, at Liberty Bell Racetrack in Philadelphia. "I was fi nally thought of as a winner after these records were set," he recalled. "And the expectations for me by others started to rise. As did my expectations for myself. I now knew how to get to the winners' circle. And that feeling never leaves your bones or your soul." Soon after, he ended up with 100 horses in his stable which, allowed him to put himself through high school and college at New York University.

While attending law school in Southern California, Shegerian interned at the Yellin Company, a Los Angeles-based real estate development firm. He proved himself by working around the clock. Long hours and dedication paid off, when he was promoted to senior vice president within two years.

After the Rodney King riots broke out in Los Angeles in 1992, Shegerian had an idea: to take gang-impacted youths from East Los Angeles and put them to work, making tortillas. He branded the name Homeboy Tortillas, which grew to Homeboy Industries. He received the New York Stock Exchange "Building for the Future" award for coming up with the best business concept in post-riot Los Angeles. Homeboy Industries, which received a lot of support and funding from Hollywood, has placed over 1,500 young people in jobs, and changed the way America looks at giving people a second chance. "What I learned back then is, you can do a business that makes a profit and makes a difference – then you could really make history because the world will be a path to your doorway," he said.

Shegerian was just getting started. In 1999 he bought financialaid.com, which became the most successful student-lending Web site in the world. He sold it in 2004.

In 2002, Shegerian took over an ailing San Diego recycling company and quickly revamped the business. The initial talks of the deal were sketched on a restaurant napkin, which Shegerian still has at his lawyer's office. After he took over the company, he changed the name to Electronic Recyclers International® and moved it to its current location in Fresno. Within 30 days, the company became profitable and has been a huge success ever since. Electronic Recyclers International® is an electronic waste collector and recycler that specializes in the environmentally safe and socially responsible dismantling of crts (cathode ray tubes). Today it is the largest e-waste recycler in the United States, with clients including Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Waste Management, the City of Los Angeles, and State of California, among many others. Shegerian plans to expand his business this year to up to 12 more states and hopes to grow it worldwide.

"Everyone can server"

Everything about Shegerian and his business is green, and green is in his dna, he says. He trademarked the term "Green is Good," which he says is the sign of the times. "Green practices are very important because you won't have another business deal to do if the Earth isn't here to do it on," he noted. He also believes that there are unlimited opportunities to help save the Earth and help the environment while making a profit. He wears a green tie every day, all his employees drive hybrid cars, his business cards are half the standard size and are printed with 1/3 less ink, 1/3 less energy, and 1/3 less paper. The forklifts at Electronic Recyclers International® are 100% electric, and the furniture is recycled. His efforts of going green have prompted NBC’s "Today Show" to ask Shegerian to work with it on a big piece in honor of Earth Day.

Shegerian is not your typical employer when it comes to hiring people with criminal records. In fact, he has 60 people working for him who have either been in jail, gangs, or rehab. "You get to help people get a second chance to get their lives back together, and that's really important to us," he said. One example is his executive assistant, Madingo Cain, who has been in jail 11 times and had never held a job. The only thing he knew how to do was sell drugs. Shegerian gave him a job at Bulldog Brewing Company – washing dishes and cleaning tables. Ten years later, Cain is still with him. "Here's this kid, who would have just been thrown away, and is now making something of himself," Shegerian said. "He inspires so many people."

Shegerian has also never taken a salary. "When you start a company, you have to put every dollar back into it," he said. "I believe you have to respect and care for the brand you own and represent and the investors that back you."

His favorite quote is by Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Everyone can be great because everyone can serve." The quote is painted in big bold letters at the entrance of Electronic Recyclers International®. "Puts all visitors on notice [as to] what we are all about when they enter," he explained. “This really captures the essence of what we do, and why we do it... each and every day."

Shegerian sits on the boards of the Boy's and Girl's Club and Fresno State University. One of his missions and his passion is addicted.com, the world's number one addiction Web site, which he founded after dealing with his own addictions. The site is designed to help people get well and help them turn their lives around. It provides addiction recovery resources and tools not only for addicts but family members and friends as well.

Shegerian is married to Fresno native Tammy Bedrossian, who is currently the chief operating officer of Electronic Recyclers. Shegerian says she is the Christian pillar of their family and that he would not be what he is if it weren't for her continuous love and support. Their two children – Cortney, 21; and Tyler, 15 – inspire and cheer him on to undertake bigger and better ventures. He said his wife and children give meaning and purpose to him every day.

Although Shegerian travels constantly, when he is home, he stays in with his family. Tammy grew up in an Armenian entrepreneurial family and Shegerian says that business has been a great common tie for both of them. "It's our golf," he said. "We don't go golfing together, but we talk about how to solve business problems, commerce, and what's going on in the business world.”

"There's nothing that makes me more proud than being Armenian," Shegerian said. While living in the Los Angeles area, he was very much involved in the Armenian Assembly. "I love what the Armenian Assembly and Armenian National Committee have accomplished and are accomplishing every day," he continued. "Both the Assembly and the anc have great voices and have continued to keep us as much as they can in front of the media and in front of the political structure." Shegerian believes that we need to do more – more ANC and more Assembly work. "It's very important for us Armenians to help one another when we can, and recognize the Genocide even among ourselves and move beyond that – because we have to protect our piece of the social and political pie." Shegerian stresses the importance of Armenians getting more involved in the media and also politically. "We have a huge opportunity to take our commercial successes and platform them into political successes," he said. He hopes the younger generation will turn over their lives to public service to help Armenians keep their message out there.