Bernard J. David is an entrepreneur, educator and author. He has been a member of CMC’s Board of Directors since 2013. Blessed with an entrepreneurial spirit, Bernard has founded, built and sold several businesses, including SaveSmart, Inc. (Prio, Inc.)—sold to Infospace, Inc.—and officesupplies.com—sold to Office Depot.
Since 2001, David has turned his attention to the area of sustainability. He believes that a systems approach to sustainability is critical—one that is based on science, and harnesses market forces to solve large-scale climate issues.
Bernard is the founder of the Global CO2 Initiative, a market-based solution to address the impact of CO2 emissions in our atmosphere and oceans.
Using informed commerce (market-based solutions) David helped to create Captura, which designed a solution to remove CO2 from the ocean and harness its ability to heal the climate—a process known as Direct Ocean Capture (“DOC”).
After David’s life-altering heart attack, he discovered the power of plant-based foods to solve health and climate issues. Realizing the need to feed 10 billion people on planet Earth by 2050 with nutritious and sustainable food, Bernard founded and serves as chairman of the Board of The ISH Company whose mission is to create innovative, sustainable and healthy food that transforms the way we eat.
Always active in the scientific community, Bernard has served on the boards of NEON, Inc. (The National Ecological Observatory Network) funded by the United States National Science Foundation, the Stroud Water Research Center, and is presently a member of the Director’s Council of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Bernard sits on the Strategic Advisory Board of the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP). He was also a member of the Advisory Committee of the AAAS-Lemelson Invention Ambassadors Program.
A born educator, Bernard founded erthnxt, inc., which became a part of the National Wildlife Federation, whose flagship program “Trees for Wildlife” focuses on educating youth on the merits of gaining a long-term perspective. The program has now been spun out of NWF as a for-profit company called, “Garden for Wildlife.”
Bernard has taught Entrepreneurship at the Wharton School to undergraduate, graduate and executive education students. He was also a Senior Fellow at The Wharton School’s Initiative on Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) at the University of Pennsylvania and is a member of the Executive Advisory Board of the Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan.
From a policy standpoint, Bernard served as a Trustee of The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment. He also has been an advisor to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Bernard is the chairman of ReProduct, Inc., and has served on the boards of Tangent Energy Solutions, Solidia Technologies, Inc. and Philadelphia Renewable Energy, Inc. David also served as a venture partner and advisor to EnerTech Capital.
Bernard earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania, a Bachelor of Science in Finance and an MBA in Marketing from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He has written eight books on entrepreneurship and allied computer technology use. He is married to Lisa Day David, an artist. They have two grown children and one grandson.