CEO MONTHLY / Female CEO of the Year Awards 2023 4 Furniture Sustainability CEO of the Year 2023: Megan Draper When undertaking refurbishment projects, one concern is always quick to present itself: What can be done with the leftover, decommissioned furniture? With a waste crisis currently sweeping the globe, there has never been a higher demand for alternative solutions that benefit both people and the planet alike. Enter Furniture Reuse Solutions, a women-led collective that aims to leverage its solutions and connections to empower disadvantaged communities across the world. Spearheaded by its Founder and CEO, Megan Draper, Furniture Reuse Solutions has brought a new meaning to sustainability and social responsibility. pecializing in the art of repurposing furniture left behind following decommissioning projects, Furniture Reuse Solutions is a consulting firm that has already made its presence known throughout the United States and various other nations alike. With connections spanning from nonprofit to humanitarian organizations, the collective has managed to accumulate a vast reach that, to this day, continues to touch the lives of many communities across the globe. Despite only having three years under its belt, Furniture Reuse Solutions is consistently demonstrating an excellence beyond its years, resulting in a firm that has transcended the constraints of distance, age, and background to improve the lives of all who collaborate alongside it. However, if one were to attribute the firm’s rapid success to anything, it would be to the decade of industry experience held by Founder and CEO, Megan Draper. Before launching Furniture Reuse Solutions in 2020, Megan had spent much of her life deeply immersed in the art of helping others. Initially raised in a small town in New England, Megan made the move to California in 2016, equipped with a unique perspective that gave her the boost she needed. After all, Megan had gone above and beyond throughout her career, resulting in her finding herself working in every corner of the US. Due to her on-hand experience and seasoned background, it was only natural for the creation of a firm such as Furniture Reuse Solutions to become the next logical step. Megan Draper truly is a fascinating individual, possessing attitudes and ideals that completely transcend simply wanting to help. When presented with the choice to step away from committing to a plan that could ultimately spell disaster, Megan recognized the potential she held, should it not flourish in the way she’d hoped. She understood that, if she didn’t take the step, the chances of someone else doing so were incredibly slim. Megan had the necessary talents to reshape the world, and expressed how, when speaking with her peers about the possibility of founding Furniture Reuse Solutions, “We can’t just walk away from this.” It takes a great mind to identify one’s own capabilities, but it takes further dedication to commit these capabilities to a cause greater than any one person. Megan is one such person – someone who knew that she had something special and decreed to do something truly meaningful with the talents she had amassed. Although, to truly understand Furniture Reuse Solutions’ impact under Megan’s careful guidance, we believe it essential to delve into some case studies. Available on the firm’s website, these case studies represent the best of the collective. Most notable is its partnership with San Diego State University in the summer of 2022. As an entity wholly committed to sustainability, when San Diego State University’s Chapultepec Hall underwent a complete refurbishment overhaul, it sought out a means to manage the surplus of decommissioned furniture. The answer was, naturally, Furniture Reuse Solutions, who was contacted to help divert almost 3,000 surplus items from the university’s dormitories away from landfills. Taking the inventory into account was no straightforward feat. As expressed within the case study for San Diego State University, the resale value of dormitory furniture is practically indiscernible, and the disposal costs that partner such a staggering inventory are incredibly high. In addition, recycling the furniture is also a challenge, resulting in limited avenues for the university. It’s for this very reason that Furniture Reuse Solutions was contacted – the firm was already renowned throughout the local area, with word of mouth consistently praising it for its straightforward, charitable solutions. Though the volume was huge, the project soon found resolution using charitable reuse, wherein Furniture Reuse Solutions matched the inventory with nonprofit organisations within and outside the US. The result exemplifies everything that Furniture Reuse Solutions, and Megan, stands for – the university generated 2,925 furniture items for reuse, ranging from bed frames and mattresses to dressers, chairs, and cabinets. By enlisting the assistance of Furniture Reuse Solutions, San Diego State University successfully managed to avoid producing 100 tonnes of landfill waste. In turn, this resulted in massive cost savings, while simultaneously maximizing Nov23288 S
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