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.
Bernard’s most recent business venture was borne out of a personal health crisis. In 2018, he suffered a heart attack. Subsequently, he has been healing and become “better than new” by adopting a healthier lifestyle. In February 2020, Bernard created The ISH Company™ an innovative plant-based foods company. ISH’s first product is Shrimpish™, a plant-based shrimp that cooks and tastes like real shrimp.
Since 2001, Bernard has turned his attention to the area of sustainability. He is the founder of the Global CO2 Initiative, a market-based solution to address the impact of CO2 emissions in our atmosphere and oceans.
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 CosmosID. Bernard 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 also is a member of the Advisory Committee of the AAAS-Lemelson Invention Ambassadors Program.
A born educator, Bernard founded erthnxt, inc., now 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. Bernard also was a Senior Fellow at The Wharton School’s Initiative on Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) at the University of Pennsylvania, and a member of the Executive Advisory Board of the Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan.
Bernard has taught Entrepreneurship at the Wharton School to undergraduate and graduate students, and executives. He has written eight books on entrepreneurship and allied computer technology use.
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. Bernard also has 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 is married to Lisa Day David, an artist. They have two grown children, Sam and Emily.