Garry Cooper Jr. facts for kids

Garry Cooper Jr. is an American entrepreneur (someone who starts businesses), scientist, and business leader. He is currently the CEO of Rheaply, a company he helped start in 2015. Rheaply helps businesses and governments reuse things instead of throwing them away. This idea is part of something called the "circular economy". Garry Cooper Jr. is also a founding member of LongJump. This is a company that helps new businesses get money, especially those started by people who might not usually get funding.

Early Life and Education

Garry Cooper Jr. went to Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton, Ohio. He studied mathematics and played the violin there. He finished school in 2002.

After that, he went to Indiana University Bloomington. He graduated in 2007 with two degrees. One was in mathematics and the other was in chemistry.

Later, Cooper went to graduate school at Northwestern University. He studied neuroscience, which is the study of the brain and nervous system. He focused on Parkinson's disease. He earned his doctorate degree in 2014. He also got a certificate in management from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management in 2012.

Career Highlights

Starting Rheaply

While Garry Cooper Jr. was studying at Northwestern, he noticed a problem. Many labs and departments were throwing away useful research items. These were things like equipment and supplies. At the same time, other labs needed those very same items.

To fix this problem, Cooper helped start Rheaply in 2015 in Chicago. He started it with Peter Tucker and Tyler Skelton. The name "Rheaply" comes from "research" and "cheaply". The company first helped universities share lab equipment.

Over time, Rheaply grew. It now uses "circular economy" ideas to help many types of organizations. This includes governments and businesses. The goal is to help them reuse resources more easily.

Rheaply's Growth and Impact

Since it started, Rheaply has received a lot of money from investors. This money helps the company grow and develop. For example, it raised $2.5 million in 2020 and $20 million in 2022.

Rheaply has also won awards and been chosen for special programs. In 2020, it won Revolution's Rise of the Rest Equity Edition. It was also part of programs like the MIT Solve Class in 2019.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cooper worked with Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot. They announced the Chicago PPE Market. This was a partnership between Rheaply and the City of Chicago. It helped small businesses get important safety gear for their workers.

Other Ventures and Contributions

In March 2021, Cooper and other Chicago business founders started LongJump. This is a special fund that invests in new businesses. It focuses on helping founders who might not easily get funding.

Garry Cooper Jr. also serves on the board of P33 Chicago. This group works to help Chicago's technology industry grow. He is also on the board of 1871, a hub for tech innovation. In 2021, Mayor Lightfoot asked him to help with the "Come Back to Move Forward" campaign. This campaign encourages tech workers to move to Chicago.

Even with his business work, Cooper remains a professor at Northwestern. He continues his research on Parkinson's disease. He was also a board member of the American Parkinson's Disease Association.

Awards and Honors

• Crain's 40 U 40 2020
• Forbes Next 1000
• Entrepreneur Pandemic Response issue cover
• Chicago Magazine's New Power 30, March 2021
• LinkedIn 2022 Top Voices in the Green Economy