Speaker

Gero Leson is Director of Special Operations for Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, the top-selling brand of natural soaps in North America. He began working with Dr. Bronner’s in 2005, helping the company transition to sourcing all of its major ingredients from certified Fair Trade and organic producer projects. Gero plans and manages the establishment of new production facilities for coconut and palm oils in Africa and Asia, and he oversees operations of Dr. Bronner’s Fair Trade systems and related community development endeavors. He also coordinates the sale of products from Dr. Bronner’s own projects to other companies who are committed to the concept of fair and sustainable supply chains. Prior to joining Dr. Bronner’s, Gero worked as an environmental researcher and consultant. He was born in Cologne, Germany and earned a masters degree in physics from the University of Cologne, as well as a doctorate degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from UCLA. When not working on Dr. Bronner’s Fair Trade projects around the world, he lives in Berkeley, California.