Ken Eskenazi is the founder and CEO of Innovation To Industry (i2i). He started the company to fuse his passion for a common cause (sustainability) with common sense – if you waste less, you’ll have more. i2i’s focus is bringing unique green products and services to market. As one of the Connected Cos., i2i provides creative sustainability strategies, solutions and marketing communications to corporations, communities and government agencies.

Eskenazi cofounded Clean Agency, one of the first full-service marketing firms to view their clients’ business through a lens of sustainability in 2002. During his tenure he led creative teams to produce integrated marketing campaigns (“Paper Tells A Story”, an exposé on the true cost of imported paper), brand revitalization programs (Ken put the “eco” in Safecoat) and packaging reduction solutions (Wal-mart Scorecard consulting and packaging structure and materials recommendations).

Clean received national recognition for its efforts. These honors include being named a U.S. Top 25 LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) Agency in 2006, a sizable development grant from the California Department of Conservation and a Pasadena Recycler of the Year Award in 2007, and designation as a “Hot Business” by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2008.

Eskenazi’s 20 years experience as a creative director for ad/design agencies on both coasts allowed him to flex his managerial, business and creative muscles on branding, advertising, packaging, web and marketing. His wide range of clients has included CAA, The City of Pasadena, Coca-Cola, Crystal Geyser, Disney, Goldman Sachs, GreenBiz.com, IdeaLab, McAfee, Mattel, the NBA, NewPage, Oracle, Princess Cruises, Reebok, Sega, Sony, the USGBC, Warner Bros. and many others – including countless startups.

Ken is an award-winning designer, and has work in the Library of Congress permanent collection. He lectures on sustainability topics at colleges, corporations and conferencess and has spoken at the United Nations. He also enjoyed teaching graphic design at Art Center College of Design and sustainable packaging at UCLA. Eskenazi is an Energy, Water and Environment Committee member of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, an Advisory Board Member for the Sustainable Business Council-LA and a member of the SBC Forum. i2i is a partner of the California Product Stewardship Council.

Eskenazi is a proud graduate of the inaugural cohort of the Executive Program for Sustainable Business Management at the Presidio School of Management in San Francisco. Some years back, he also has also earned a BFA with honors in graphic design/packaging from the prestigious Art Center College of Design and a BA (cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) in French from Occidental College – though he missed President Barack “Barry” Obama by a year or two.