Ryan Everton is the founder and CEO at TURN, a San Francisco headquartered company pioneering reusable cup solutions for major events and fast-food chains.

From growing up on a farm and selling meat pies at boarding school during the tuck shop prohibition — to tackling global plastic waste, building infrastructure to wash a million cups at a time (literally) … Ryan's journey embodies Kiwi ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit.

In this episode, we explore:

* TURN's origins as “Globelet” .. and ideation journey through the Otago University “Audacious” business competition.

* The journey from landing his first festival customers, through to partnering with Live Nation and rolling out across 36 festivals on the same contract… now on to Starbucks, Chick-fil-A.

* How TURN achieves >90% cup return rates at events - building loyalty programs, rolling out powerful incentive mechanics.

* Navigating the pandemic - seeing it as an opportunity to take stock, invest in R&D and rebranding, automating washing infrastructure, come out swinging on the other side.

* Riding regulatory tailwinds — coming California restrictions on single-use plastics, and how they’re positioning themselves to ride them.

* Unlearning classic Kiwi habits to lead a global team.

* Why grit is an important founder trait, and where he thinks it comes from (hint: back on the farm).

* Philosophical reflections on purpose, success, and leaving a legacy

Where to find Ryan online:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryaneverton/

* Twitter/X: https://x.com/Valueroad

Make sure you subscribe for more epic expat stories every Friday!

Enjoying Diaspora.nz? Share this episode with a friend or family member:

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diaspora.nz