Changing Reverse Logistics and the World with Gary Stephens

Gary Stephens joins the conversation on "Austin Tech Connect" - the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. He is the co-founder of Vendidit (as well as several other companies). He, along with his co-founder John Paul DeJoria (serial entrepreneur and known to many for his successful haircare line Paul Mitchell) are looking to make returns in retail more efficient and positively impact the environment. You gotta hear this interview!! About Gary Stephens Gary is a visionary technology executive and is an industry thought leader in reverse logisitics. He is the imagineer of both Vendidit, launched in 2024, and Renew Logic, which he started from a single pallet of recyclables in 2016. His previous career includes work on the Windows 95 launch team, being head of Windows NT updates under Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates and building a third electronics recycling company from scratch to $400M. His positive contributions to ethical business practices and industry improvements led to testifying before Congress in 2018 about smart, diverse employment policies. Beyond tech, Gary's diverse passions include race car driving, piloting and philanthropy – particularly helping dog rescues. He's a proven leader, blending business acumen with a profound commitment to societal impact. About Vendidit Vendidit is a proprietary, end-to-end software platform that connects qualified secondary market buyers with retail returns sellers to drive maximum value for returns. The platform puts interested parties together seamlessly and simultaneously when returned products have the highest value. It was co-founded by renowned entrepreneurs John Paul DeJoria and Gary Stephens and other reverse logistics industry veterans who saw a problem to be solved: retailers have returns inventory they can't sell efficiently, and secondary market sellers (who can move inventory for them) don't have enough of it or an efficient way to procure it. In five words, Vendidit converts limited inventory