About Genesis 1 Technologies
Genesis 1 Technologies is a Charlotte, North Carolina company founded in 2023 by Marcus Wade. We build AI-powered smart recycling devices that reduce contamination on university and corporate campuses. Our mission is to make recycling rewarding, measurable, and scalable — one campus at a time.
What we believe
Incentives change behavior. Guilt does not. That single insight drives everything we build. Sustainability programs tend to rely on signs, slogans, and good intentions, yet campus recycling streams still average about 25% contamination — and contaminated loads are frequently landfilled. We believe 0% contamination is possible when the right behavior is verified and rewarded at the moment it happens.
- Incentives change behavior — guilt does not.
- 0% contamination is possible — and should be the standard.
- Students engage when they are rewarded for it.
- Real-time data turns sustainability from intent into evidence.
What we build
Our flagship product, the Topper Stopper, is an AI-powered device that sits on existing recycling bins and uses computer vision to verify each item before it enters the stream. When an item is verified as recyclable, the user earns points and recognition through tsRewards, and every interaction becomes item-level data in tsAnalytics.
Together, the Topper Stopper, tsRewards, tsAnalytics, and tsMedia form a connected platform that targets a reduction in campus recycling contamination from about 25% to 0% while producing the evidence operations and sustainability teams need for ESG reporting.
Who leads the company
Genesis 1 Technologies was founded by Marcus Wade, a creative technology executive with a proven ability to disrupt industries and create new markets. Marcus leads the company as Founder and CEO.
Stephen Minus leads Market Growth, building the partnerships and go-to-market motion that brings the Topper Stopper to new campuses and corporate sites.
Strategic advisors
Our Strategic Advisory Council brings deep operating experience across the markets we serve:
- Ed DeFraine — Strategic Beverage Advisor. Veteran beverage executive who led Reyes Coca-Cola’s $450M On-Premise business across California and Southern Nevada.
- Dr. Amanda Karls — Strategic University Advisor. Higher-education leader specializing in institutional effectiveness and assessment.
Where we are
Genesis 1 Technologies is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and serves universities, corporate campuses, and facilities management teams across the United States.
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Last updated 2026-06-28