On Earth Day in 2008, Columbian born Angie Cardona-Nelson and her husband, Joe Nelson, became “eco-preneurs” when they started eWaste Direct, Inc. The company was created to divert electronic waste from landfills by offering multiple services to businesses and commercial buildings throughout the greater San Francisco bay area. It was a very serendipitous how they became “eco-preneurs.”
After moving to the U.S. as part of an au pair program, Angie met her husband. When they were newlyweds, they went to an auction to find a coffee table. The couple bid on a file cabinet, a computer monitor and a garbage can. They spent $300 and were told they needed to remove the items by the end of the day. It turned out that they won the bid for not just one of each item, but all of the things on each of the building’s four floors. So they had to remove 405 cabinets, 80+ computer monitors, and 100 trashcans (which they paid only a $1 for). They panicked and called everyone that they knew to help transport the things to a rented storage space. The first month for storage was $1 and the next month cost $500, so they quickly started selling on Craigslist and flea markets to clear the storage unit. One day, someone at the flea market asked them if they had ever thought about recycling for metals. And that was the early beginnings of how eWaste Direct, Inc. came to be.
Making our planet greener
The couple had always been frugal and resourceful, so starting this company to protect the environment felt right. The company collects, recycles and resells electronics from across the San Francisco Bay Area diverting 7 million pounds and counting from landfills.
Everything that is collected is carefully examined for potential reuse. If the material is not available for reuse, then using only industry standard approved facilities, the company dismantles, separates, and recycles electronics for commodities such as plastics, metals, and precious metals. Over the years, the company has also shifted from a revenue ratio of 80 percent recycling to more than 80 percent resale by utilizing the eBay platform.
In addition, eWaste Direct, Inc. is also proud to be a green company where the vast majority of its internal operations equipment from previous pick-ups. From their computers and printers, most of their racking, office supplies, and even boxes and packing material, over 90% of their operation runs on reuse!
Doing good for the earth and empowering their employees
Angie recalls that one of the scariest moments was when the company hired its first employee. “When you hire someone you feel responsible for the employee and their family,” says Angie.
It was essential to her to provide a work-life balance for the company’s employees, all built on the foundation of treating them with respect. She takes pride in the fact that the company is providing people with opportunities.
“Our employees invite us to personal events, like family gatherings. For me to have the options for women with no experience, single moms, to let them know that they are worth it. It empowers you to keep doing more,” says Angie.
She shares about how they have entry-level positions, and the employees are trained to learn all parts of the business from shipping, taking photos, research to do an eBay listing, and testing the products for resale.
Becoming the voice for small business owners
In 2017, Angie won the eBay Shine Award for Small Business bringing her in the spotlight to become a voice for small business owners. The honor was something that she didn’t take lightly and she knew how important it was for her to share her story, as a woman, as an immigrant and a small business owner creating jobs for her community. eBay quickly recruited her to be a part of their ambassador program. In this new role, Angie went to Washington, DC to share her story and how pending legislation would impact her business and others like hers. She had the opportunity to share her small business story with Senators Dianne Feinstein (CA) and Sen.Kamala Harris (CA).
“What a privilege it is for me be in Washington DC representing CA online small businesses, as the 2017 ebay small business of the year, As a woman, an immigrant creating jobs, and growing a Green Business,” recalls Angie of the experience.
Becoming the voice for small business owners didn’t come naturally for Angie. She noted that she had always been reserved, very quiet, and she felt petrified to talk to people about her business. Serving as an eBay ambassador for small businesses provided her the opportunity to follow her passion, drive, and build her confidence.
When asked about what advice she would provide inspiring Latina entrepreneurs, she says, “If they put in time and energy, they can do it. The opportunities are there. They need to be resourceful and put a lot of sweat and tears into it.”
Thank you, Angie, for being an inspiration and keeping our planet greener for the next generation!