Welcome to the Second in Command Podcast, produced by the C.O. Alliance and brought to

its founder Cameron Herald.

In the second-in-command podcast, we talked to top COOs who share the insights, strategies,

and tactics that made them the chief behind the chief.

And now here's your host, Cameron Harold.

Our guest today is Terra Cycle's chief administrative officer Richard

Perle. Richard joined Terra Cycle in 2008 and has overseen strategic

partnerships, investor relations, capital raising, and the company's

international growth from one to 20 plus countries.

He's worked within the green business world for 35 years in a range of industries.

Richard is a founder of a social venture network and threshold foundation

and has an undergraduate law and business

degrees from Columbia University. Richard, I am really looking forward to

speaking with you today. Thanks for being on the podcast.

Very happy to be here. Yeah, so why don't you tell us how you got involved in Terra Cycle?

Because you came into the organization when it was completely different.

Do I have my memory correct that when I read about it back then it was like worms in a box?

Correct, worm poop. The initial business was fertilizer, made from compost, turned into, was called like a tea for plants, and Tom

figured he could get paid to take the waste,

to make a product from it and get paid again.

And since he saw when he was at Princeton,

he dropped out to start the company,

...