Michael Martin
Described by Billboard magazine as a “Guru of live event greening”, Michael Martin is an innovator in business-based tech and social change campaigns leveraging culture for impact. He is the founder and CEO of Effect Partners and r.Cup, two purpose-driven organizations committed to creating global awareness of and meaningful change in environmental sustainability.
Effect Partners creates concepts or companies that become campaigns and then movements. For over 30 years Michael has helped to develop innovative sustainability strategies and campaigns for leading entities including Toyota, Live Nation, Toyota, UPS, Target, AEG, Clif Bar, U2 and Apple Computer. In addition, he led the sustainability movement in the event and entertainment industries, and is known for introducing many of the greening practices used today.
Michael helped Earth Day become the world’s largest secular event, and developed the first-ever national global warming campaign with Ben & Jerry’s and Dave Matthews Band, uniting the nation’s top 20 environmental groups and putting the concept of climate change on the map.
In 2017, Michael founded r.Cup - the nation’s leading reuse platform. r.Cup is catalyzing the Reuse Movement using cultural campaigns, grassroots organizing, community partnerships, logistics, and technology, and made its debut with the support of over a dozen artist and musicians, including U2, Dave Matthews Band, Rod Stewart, Jack Johnson, Maggie Rogers and Rolling Stones, and festivals including Camp Flog Gnaw, Farm Aid, Sea.Hear.Now, Ultra Music Festival and Vans Warped Tour.
As part of the Reuse Seattle coalition, r.Cup is partnering with Seattle Public Utilities, PR3, The Washington Nightlife Music Association (WANMA), and a growing list of Seattle restaurants and entertainment venues, to design the nation’s first municipal reuse system - building the infrastructure and services needed to truly create reuse at scale while delivering a blueprint for other cities and municipalities.
Recently, Michael helped form the Music Sustainability Association, a hyper inclusive member driven association that facilitates systemic solutions to help the music industry integrate sustainability into its operations.
Michael currently sits on the Boards of MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, and People’s Organic Cafe. He is a 30-year member of Social Venture Network (now American Sustainable Business Network). Michael lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.