Ian Carter

Ian, born and raised in the California Bay Area, obtained his Bachelors of Science in Political Science with minors in Business and Environmental Sciences at the University of Oregon. He is currently finishing his Juris Doctorate at the University of Colorado. When he was 14, Ian started his first social enterprise, focused on providing alternative conflict resolution options to students, while also providing a safe place for youth to talk about their personal experiences growing up. Soon after, Ian was the first youth member to be appointed to both the Board of Directors of The Bill Wilson Center and the Santa Clara County Human Relations Commission. He was also a founding member of Ashoka’s Youth Venture National Advisory Council, and worked with CA Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohen on her Youth Advocacy Committee.

Ian has been recognized as a leader among young Social Entrepreneurs, and was selected to speak about his efforts at the Biennial of the Americas and at the 2010 AshokaU Summit. He also was selected as a United States Delegate to the World Youth Meeting on Sustainability in Bari, Italy. In the years since, Ian has worked on numerous social enterprises, ranging from local and sustainable farming, to reducing waste at large urban venues, to making legal services accessible and affordable to the non-profit and social sectors. He also helped create, and served, as the first Program Manager of the University of Colorado’s Changemaker Campus program which focused on building an environment of social innovation and entrepreneurship within the University community. The Changemaker Campus Program developed a curriculum on social innovation, a Social Innovation Residential Academic Program, and a Social Venture Incubator which as of 06/2011 has launched 7 social businesses.

Ian is currently a Law Clerk at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Prior to this, Ian held a variety of jobs including working as a horseback riding instructor, personal banker, a law clerk, a writer for ICOSA Magazine, and has recently started a small freelance photography business. In his limited free time, Ian likes to travel, mountain climb, play tennis, take pictures, and consult on new social enterprises.