Eric Hudson
Eric Hudson is the Founder & CEO of Preserve, a sustainable consumer products company based in Waltham, Massachusetts. Eric started the company in 1996 when he designed the Preserve toothbrush, a product made from recycled polypropylene and completely recyclable. At that time, making a product from start to finish as respectful as possible of our Earth’s natural resources was an effort to turn business on its head. Today his company boasts a portfolio of everyday household products including kids and adult toothbrushes, razors, tableware, and kitchen tools. The Preserve line can be found in more than 7,000 retail locations nationwide including Target and Whole Foods and is best selling in each of its categories in the $76 billion natural retail market. A native of Massachusetts, Eric earned a bachelors degree in Economics and Political Science from Boston College and earned his MBA, with distinction, from Babson College. He comes from a family rich in entrepreneurship including grandparents who were the original founders of Brookstone. Eric’s love and respect of nature is really what took him out of the business-as-usual atmosphere he was rooted in early in his career. Eric worked in operations management and trading at Fidelity over the course of 6 years. After business school, he established his own consulting firm, Hudson Consulting, in collaboration with such partners as Andersen Consulting, advising clients on becoming more efficient throughout their operations. At the same time, he began researching product ideas for a company that he envisioned would utilize Earth’s resources more respectfully by keeping reusable plastics out of landfills. In 2004, the Natural Food Merchandiser included Preserve (then known by its incorporated name, Recycline) in both their “25 Ideas that Changed the Industry” and their “25 that Made Naturals Beautiful” lists. In 2006, Eric was named one of Inc. Magazine’s “Green 50”; and, in 2007, Preserve won the Forbes.com’s 2007 “Boost Your Business” contest with a grand prize of $100,000. In 2009, Preserve Kitchen won the International Housewares Association’s Green Design Award. Eric is a member of Social Venture Network (SVN), Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), and the Sustainable Business Network (SBN). He has served on several boards and councils and presently serves on the town of Acton’s Green Advisory Board and the board of the Robbins de Beaumont Foundation that funds a variety of non-profits including those with a focus on preservation of the environment through education about the value of our natural resources. Eric lives in Acton, MA with his wife and 3 young sons. He drives what some call a grease car – a car fueled by recycled vegetable oil – but is most happy getting around on bicycle or by foot. Every year, Eric raises thousands of dollars for the Pan Mass Challenge – a bike-a-thon that raises money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. His primary form of recreation these days is roughhousing with his sons. He is also an avid tennis player, mixes hockey with yoga, and has been skiing since he was three; and although the opportunities are rare these days, Eric shares a great love of windsurfing and has spent many a day windsurfing on Cape Cod.
