# Andy Ruben

> Andy Ruben founded Trove, originally Yerdle, after a decade at Walmart that included leading its early sustainability efforts, private-brand operations and e-commerce strategy. He helped develop branded resale with partners including Patagonia, REI and Eileen Fisher. He is now cofounder and CEO of Clarity Systems and non-executive chair of Zevia, with additional board and advisory roles in retail and climate investing.

- **Role:** Cofounder and CEO at Clarity Systems; Non-executive Board Chair at Zevia
- **Organizations:** Clarity Systems, Trove, Walmart, Zevia, Boston Consulting Group, Earthshot Ventures, Goodwill Industries International, FortNine, Cerberus Capital Management
- **Education:** B.S. in Civil Engineering, cum laude, Washington University in St. Louis, MBA, Washington University in St. Louis
- **Known for:** Helped establish Walmart’s sustainability strategy and integrate it with everyday operations., Led the repositioning of Walmart’s $20 billion-plus private-brand business., Helped launch Walmart’s first grocery-delivery service.

## Career timeline

- **1996-2002** — Worked in strategic advisory; his board biography identifies Capgemini and founding-member responsibilities.
- **2002-2012** — Held corporate strategy, sustainability, private-brand and omnichannel roles at Walmart.
- **2004-2007** — Led Walmart’s early sustainability work as its first sustainability chief.
- **2008** — Received Walmart’s Sam M. Walton Entrepreneur of the Year award.
- **2012** — Founded the business originally called Yerdle; its consumer sharing platform launched publicly on Black Friday.
- **2016** — Shifted the business toward services enabling brands to operate their own resale channels.
- **2017** — Helped launch Patagonia’s online Worn Wear resale platform.
- **2020** — Yerdle Recommerce became Trove; joined Zevia’s board in December.
- **2021** — Trove ranked No. 268 on the Inc. 5000, with reported three-year revenue growth of 1,744%.
- **2022** — Handed Trove’s CEO role to Gayle Tait and became executive chair.
- **2024** — Became a senior advisor at BCG; Cerberus council service ended in June.
- **2025** — Joined the Goodwill Industries International board in June.
- **2026** — Trove chair tenure ended in January; became Clarity CEO and Zevia board chair in February. Clarity announced a $4.4 million seed round in August.

## Achievements

- Helped establish Walmart’s sustainability strategy and integrate it with everyday operations.
- Led the repositioning of Walmart’s $20 billion-plus private-brand business.
- Helped launch Walmart’s first grocery-delivery service.
- Founded Trove and developed branded resale with Patagonia and other retailers.
- Received the Sam M. Walton Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2008.
- Recognized by Chain Store Age as a Retail Rising Star and by the Arkansas business press as a 40 Under 40 leader.
- Spoke at TED2010 and testified before both chambers of the U.S. Congress on business and sustainability.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Clarity Systems announced a $4.4 million seed round led by LMnT Ventures, with Regeneration VC, Humba Ventures and Massive Technology Ventures participating.
- **2026-02** — Became Zevia’s non-executive board chair, succeeding Paddy Spence.
- **2026-02** — Became CEO of Clarity; ReturnPro announced a partnership to deploy Clarity verification technology in its North American returns centers.
- **2026-01** — His Trove board-chair tenure ended, according to Zevia’s 2026 proxy statement.

## Links

- Website: https://www.andyruben.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyruben/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/andy-ruben
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-11