Upcycling and Upskilling With AI: Goodwill's Steve Preston

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Apr 29, 2025

Steve Preston, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, leads a network focusing on sustainable practices and workforce development. In this chat, he reveals how Goodwill is using AI to enhance sorting and recycling of over five billion pounds of goods annually. Preston discusses innovative upcycling strategies transforming unusable items into valuable products. Additionally, he addresses how AI empowers job seekers through personalized skill development programs, fostering community growth and connecting individuals to local job markets.

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INSIGHT

AI Optimizes Goodwill's Supply Chain

Goodwill processes over 5 billion pounds of goods annually, using AI to sort, price, and allocate items efficiently.
AI enables routing items for resale, upcycling, or recycling, optimizing the entire supply chain with judgment and human intervention.

INSIGHT

AI Drives Textile Circularity

AI coupled with new recycling tech enables complete circularity by identifying fiber composition in textiles.
This supports automatic sorting and processing to recycle fibers back into raw materials for new textiles.

INSIGHT

AI Personalizes Workforce Training

Goodwill integrates AI in workforce development to provide personalized training and support.
AI helps assess individuals' skills and challenges, enabling customized learning pathways and real-time assistance.

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Many of us know Goodwill Industries International as a retailer that accepts and resells donated goods. What the average consumer may not know is that the nonprofit takes in over 5 billion pounds of goods each year — and not all of it can be resold. For those unwanted or unviable items, the organization can either look into recycling or upcycling, and with the help of AI, it’s able to efficiently make that determination while also improving its process for sorting and allocating sellable goods for different retail channels.

Additionally, Goodwill helps its workforce with career-development skills. Much of this training has been enhanced with AI. Tune in to this episode to hear directly from Goodwill CEO Steve Preston about how the organization is using technology to fulfill a mission that extends beyond the retail store. Read the episode transcript here.

Guest bio:

As president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, Steven C. Preston leads a network of 153 local Goodwill organizations with a combined revenue of $8.2 billion. In addition to being a secondhand retail leader, Goodwill is a leading nonprofit provider of workforce training and development in North America.

Positioning the organization at the forefront of workforce development has been a top focus for Preston since he joined Goodwill in 2019. He has also forged partnerships with organizations focused on sustainable practices in the secondhand retail marketplace and developed mission-focused marketing efforts to elevate the Goodwill brand.

Previously, Preston served in numerous operational and financial leadership positions in both the public and private sectors. After heading the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Small Business Administration, he led successful turnarounds as the CEO of Oakleaf Global Holdings and Livingston International. He also served as the CFO of Waste Management and ServiceMaster.

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