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If you live in New York City, you may have heard of Ethan Ruby, paraplegic, CEO of a medical cannabis company and philanthropist who’s founded several non-profits. He’s also a public speaker, inventor of indispensable SCI gadgets and a pro-poker player. Yes, this man stays busy. After his injury, he managed to bounce back and went on to become one of the most successful businessman in the SCI world. Read on for his story.
Why He’s Fearless
Ethan’s whole life was upended when he was hit by a rental car while crossing the street in Manhattan in 2000. He was 25 years old and had just graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He was beginning his career as a day-trader on Wall Street and was suddenly a T6 paraplegic. Ruby decided to not go back into trading and instead used his financial and business skills to found a series of what he calls, “Ethan Ruby’s Positive Energy Projects.”
He was also awarded $20 million in a personal injury lawsuit filed against the rental car company involved in his accident, which surely helped many of his projects.
One of the first non-profits Ruby co-founded was Poker4Life in 2006, a non-profit that holds on a charity poker tournament in New York City each year. They’ve raised millions since its founding, with much of the money going to the Miami Project (a SCI research hospital). Ruby is a professional poker player himself and has won hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.
In 2013, he was also the president of the NYC chapter of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. And the next nonprofit he began was Wearable Collections, a clothing recycling nonprofit that sets up recycle bins for used clothing in apartment complexes. He also founded City Streets, a website offering cleaner, cheaper transportation solutions for New Yorkers, as well as Gooder(z), a site that let you donate to a charity every time you shop. He also founded Give Good Get, an interactive NYC map where people could track/register random acts of kindness.
And Ruby is a motivational speaker. He speaks a high schools and colleges on topics like living with SCI, overcoming adversity and the key components to leading a happy and meaningful life. While living with paralysis, Ruby has also created some fabulous adaptive equipment. He invented Wheel Comfort, a removable footrest cover that lets wheelchair-users go barefoot safely without injuring their bare feet. It has become highly popular in the wheelchair community. Learn more: Wheel Comfort.
What’s Next?
Ruby’s business newest venture began in 2013 when he was awarded the state of Connecticut’s first license to produce medical marijuana. He founded the company Theraplant, which has been producing medical cannabis since 2013. Ruby’s life was greatly enhanced by medical marijuana, which inspired him to want to invest in this industry. He’s hoping to expand his business across the country as laws change.
But business isn’t Ruby’s entire life. He also has a pretty great personal life. He’s both a husband and father. Ruby met his wife Julie before his injury while in college. They had such a strong connection that they made it through his transformative journey. There were married in 2006 and have two sons.
Through his foundations, motivational speaking and work in the cannabis industry, Ruby is changing the world. He roared back after his injury like a lion, and continues to forge ahead year after year. We can’t wait to see which industry he decides to take on next.
— Theraplant: The Ethan Ruby Story
ideas@spinalpedia.com
