John B. Rogers, Jr., Local Motors

John "Jay" Rogers is President, CEO and Co-Founder of Local Motors, a next-generation car company that is changing the way cars are designed, built, and owned. Local Motors cars are built in regional Micro-Factories, which are a groundbreaking fusion of advanced, small-volume manufacturing and unprecedented ownership experiences. This open business model is significantly more capital efficient than traditional automotive companies, and participation is driven primarily through low-cost digital marketing strategies, including social media.

Born into a long line of automotive enthusiasts, his grandfather owned the legendary Indian motorcycle company and was the first Cummins Engine Distributor on the East Coast. Rogers completed 9 years of infantry leadership in the Marine Corps to take on a new challenge. As a Marine, he gained first-hand understanding of the military involvement necessary to maintain an automotive world reliant on oil. With this understanding, he set his course to build a new sustainable car company. This company would produce lightweight and efficient vehicles while dramatically reducing waste and reliance on oil.

Roger's focus on sustainability grew. After studying many car companies and principles from leading sustainability experts, he shaped Local Motors to have long term, sustainable profit potential in addition to an eco-friendly production process and end product. A graduate of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School and Harvard Business School (George F. Baker Scholar), Rogers began as an entrepreneur in the first diabetes home management company in China, after which he became a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with Ewing & Partners, and a Consultant for McKinsey & Co.