Gary Wozniak

Gary Wozniak, President and CEO of RecoveryPark, will deliver a lecture "Recovery Park and Recovery Park Farm - a Motown example of how to create economic growth and to help former prisons re-enter their communities" on Thursday, October 11th at 6pm in Meyerson Hall, Room B3.

After 30 years of operating start-up companies, consulting with businesses to maximize talent potential, and honing clients’ strengths to achieve success, Gary Wozniak harnessed these traits to bring an idea to life. RecoveryPark is Detroit’s cutting-edge solution that solves three problems: abandoned land, overlooked people, and a lack of accessible, well-paying jobs. After serving as the Chief Development Officer at SHAR House, Gary launched the concept of a farm selling artisanal produce to upscale restaurants that employs vulnerable people, providing a living wage and a supportive work environment. Over 100 partners joined Gary to make this scalable, innovative project a reality in Detroit and a model for self-sustaining urban agriculture everywhere. Now in its seventh year of operations, RecoveryPark remains a testament to Gary’s passion for dreaming big and building on intelligent, pragmatic actions. People are working. Tomatoes are growing. Ideas are brewing. RecoveryPark is thriving.

When Gary isn’t figuring out solutions to old problems, he goes to the theater and listens to live music, always sporting a bright white pair of sneakers and an easy smile.