Josh Knauer
President and CEO
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 Rhiza Labs, Josh lead MAYA Design’s Information Commons project. Before that, he founded and served as Executive Director of the EnviroLink Network, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to helping organizations adopt emerging technologies. Josh also founded and served as CEO of Green Marketplace, a clearing-house for socially and environmentally responsible products, services and information, which he sold to Gaiam in 2002.
Involvement in the community is very important to Josh. He has served on the boards of directors of the Regional Development Funding Corporation, the Organic Trade Association’s Fiber Council, the Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club, Temple Sinai in Pittsburgh and he is currently on the board of directors of the Institute for Global Communications, the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, the EnviroLink Network and Rhiza Labs. Josh is also an active member of the Social Venture Network.
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.
