Me, Myself, and AI

Upcycling and Upskilling With AI: Goodwill's Steve Preston

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.

26:37

Creator website

Episode guests

Steve Preston

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Goodwill Industries employs AI technology to optimize the sorting and resale processes of over 5 billion pounds of donated goods annually.

The organization enhances workforce development by utilizing AI-driven training programs to equip individuals facing employment barriers with essential skills.

Deep dives

AI in Retail Operations

Goodwill Industries processes over 5 billion pounds of retail goods annually, with a significant focus on using artificial intelligence to enhance its retail operations. The application of AI facilitates the evaluation and sorting of unique items that come through their system, as traditional retail lacks such diversification. This technology can help determine the best channels for selling goods, whether in physical stores or online platforms, and is critical for managing their complex supply chain. The implementation of AI not only improves efficiency but also integrates decision-making processes to ensure that each item is placed appropriately within the recycling or resale cycle.

Intro

2min

Harnessing AI for Sustainable Goods Management

4min

Innovations in Retail: Embracing Circular Solutions

2min

Innovative AI Solutions for Sustainable Development and Workforce Empowerment

6min

Empowering Employment Through AI

9min

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.

Me, Myself, and AI is a collaborative podcast from MIT Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group and is hosted by Sam Ransbotham and Shervin Khodabandeh. Our engineer is David Lishansky, and the executive producer is Allison Ryder.

Stay in touch with us by joining our LinkedIn group, AI for Leaders at mitsmr.com/AIforLeaders or by following Me, Myself, and AI on LinkedIn.

We encourage you to rate and review our show. Your comments may be used in Me, Myself, and AI materials.