CEO MONTHLY | Female CEO of the Year Awards 2024 10 Incorporated shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Furniture Reuse Solutions was established at a time when community efforts were at their most important, and it has not let up in the years since. Having delivered more than 6,000 shipments comprising in excess of 6,000,000 pounds of furniture Operating out of California’s San Diego County, environmental consulting company Furniture Reuse Solutions, Inc. partners with a number of charities, corporations, and schools to repurpose their used furniture and equipment, before delivering unneeded items to those who can make use of them. Bridging the sustainability gap, this woman-owned business is overseen and operated by Megan A. Draper, who leverages more than a decade of industry expertise to help the company achieve its goals. and equipment to over 200 charities and non-profits across the US and beyond, Furniture Reuse Solutions has had the pleasure of working with Fortune 500 companies, healthcare groups, and K-12 school districts alike. At the helm of this remarkable operation is CEO Megan A. Draper, whose job it is to be a true leader, both advancing the company itself and allowing it to work closely and efficiently with its clients and humanitarian partners alike, ensuring that everyone in need of support is provided with it. Megan’s ability to do so is grounded in her previous managerial experience, as prior to establishing Furniture Reuse Solutions, Megan worked for nearly a decade at IRN – The Recycling Network, relocating to California from New Hampshire. After nearly ten years with IRN, Megan naturally began to crave a new challenge, with her new home of California offering up a wealth of opportunities for a discerning recycling aficionado such as herself. Setting up the business alongside her husband, Megan quickly realised that sustainable solutions were often sought after by corporations, but that they struggled to connect the dots. This is where Megan and her team come in, offering seamless consultancy services that make real differences in the lives of people far and wide. Transforming clients’ surplus furniture into a valuable resource, the comprehensive services of Furniture Reuse Solutions span liquidation, reusing, or recycling, allowing furniture to be rehomed or safely disposed if repurposing is not possible. The team’s process is straightforward and transparent in equal measure, and their three-stage plans have proven impactful time and again. This is particularly true of the past two years, where projects such as replacing outdated classroom furniture for schools have been undertaken. Furniture Reuse Solutions is, therefore, going into 2025 on the back of a year of substantial change, having evolved significantly over the past 12 months. From opening an office in the city of Carlsbad – where its team meet every week to collaborate on ongoing and upcoming projects – to hiring an operations VP specifically for the Pacific Northwest region, the company demonstrated its excellence frequently this past year. Its project in the Long Beach Unified School District, completed this past summer, is just one example of this. Thanks to these projects, as well as the glowing testimonials they yield from clients, Megan and her team are eagerly looking ahead to the future of the business, including opening more sites and continuing to evolve alongside both client and vendor demand. Against the backdrop of this expansion, Furniture Reuse Solutions’ commitment to helping humankind and delivering aid remains stronger than ever. By remaining true to its principles and upholding these high standards, the company is sure to continue to garner acclaim. Far from a stranger to commendation, the company has been on the receiving end of a number of awards over the past few years, with Megan herself being a mainstay in publications by her local Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, including featuring for two years in a row in its ‘40 Under 40’ feature and guesting on its podcast. Beyond this, one of the crowning moments of Megan’s career so far came when she was recognised with the highly coveted Enterprising Women of the Year Award, a testament to her ability. Megan has even featured in this awards programme before, named as Furniture Sustainability CEO of the Year in 2023. Receiving the same accolade for 2024, these consecutive wins represent Megan A. Draper’s relentless drive to empower organisations to repurpose their furniture and equipment. Through Furniture Reuse Solutions, Inc., Megan is both minimising cost and environmental impact for companies and also maximising social benefit, making her operation more than deserving of such widespread and sustained recognition. Contact: Megan Draper Company: Furniture Reuse Solutions, Inc. Web Address: https://furniturers.com/ Best Furniture Sustainability CEO 2024: Megan Draper
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