Q: Your career spans nearly two decades in a traditionally male-dominated industry—what first drew you to waste management, and when did you realize it was your purpose?
LJ: Two things drew me in. It was stable... and the career potential was unlimited. What kept me in the industry was realizing I could actually change something. That shift happened quietly. One day it just wasn't about the job anymore.

Q: You’ve gone from corporate leadership to founding Eco in the City—what was the defining moment that pushed you to bet on yourself?
LJ: I was working in an industry that was slow to innovate. I have always been a "what if" person... and waste management is very much a "this is how it's done" industry. I could see problems that were absolutely solvable. At the time, nobody was making a real effort to solve them. That bothered me enough to do something about it.

Q: Onboarding nearly 200 multifamily communities in under a year is no small feat—what leadership mindset made that level of growth possible?
LJ: It came down to one simple premise — the customer experience. Every multifamily property has some kind of trash issue. My job is to uncover what that specific issue is, solve it, and communicate the solution in a way that anyone can understand. That's it. There is nothing complicated about it.

Q: As a woman leading in sustainability and waste systems, what biases or barriers have you had to overcome—and how did you navigate them?
LJ: It has been quite a journey. In many rooms, I am expected to prove I belong before I am given the opportunity to contribute. I remember one meeting where the director of a large city literally turned his back on me and chose to address my male employee instead. My employee had to redirect him, advising that he did not have the answers and that I was the one he needed to be talking to. I have never forgotten that moment. I use it as fuel.

Q: What does “having it all” mean to you today, and has that definition evolved throughout your journey?
LJ: I have always believed you can have it all, just not all at once. Years ago, I gave a presentation using bowls of sand to illustrate this. I would scoop sand from one bowl and add it to another. In different seasons of life, you have to shift your energy. There were seasons when I was a better mother than business owner. A better boss than friend. A better daughter than visionary. I put my energy where it is needed most. Whatever you focus on will grow, and that is true for both the good and the hard things. If you only focus on what is wrong, you will deepen your sadness. But if you focus on what you have accomplished despite your challenges, you make room for more. That has been true every single time for me.

Q: For women who feel underestimated in their industries, what is one mindset shift that can change everything?
LJ: This one is simple. You are uniquely qualified to solve problems. Women do not think in straight lines. We see multiple angles at once and that is a secret weapon in male-dominated industries. Do not be afraid to approach things differently than they have always been done. The way you naturally think is exactly what these industries are missing.

Q: Eco in the City sits at the intersection of technology, community, and policy—how do you ensure your work creates both profit and purpose?
LJ: I don't see profit and purpose as competing priorities. I see them as partners. The solutions we build have to be practical enough to generate revenue and meaningful enough to create lasting impact. If the work helps clients save money, operate more effectively, and make a measurable difference in the communities they serve, then we are doing it right. That alignment is not an accident. It is the whole design.

Q: Waste management isn’t always seen as glamorous, yet it’s critical to public health and community well-being—how do you reframe this conversation for everyday people?
LJ: No, trash is anything but glamorous! However, every single person has experience with it. That’s unique. What other industry can you think of where every single person on the planet has experience with it? So, I like to focus on practical sustainability. Talking to someone about EPR laws is going to make their eyes gloss over. But if I ask them directly why they chose the plastic milk jug over the paper milk carton, they are fully invested in the conversation. The goal is make sustainability real for people and apply it to things they already do.

Q: In regions like the Bay Area where sustainability is a priority, what are we still getting wrong when it comes to waste and environmental responsibility?
LJ: We are trying to find our way to behavior change. Fines have their place, but legislation has to include real education that goes beyond signage on trash enclosures and door-to-door flyers. We also have to work with retailers to give people better options right there in the shopping aisle. If the right choice is also the easy choice, people will make it. Right now, we are making it hard and then penalizing people for getting it wrong.

Q: Your journey reflects resilience and reinvention—can you share a moment when things didn’t go as planned and how you turned it into a breakthrough?
LJ: During COVID, my previous business experienced explosive growth. And that growth exposed every weakness we had. Our operational systems were built to scale, but the people side of the business lacked the structure to support that kind of momentum. We started experiencing unprecedented churn, and I knew I had to take a completely different approach. So, I rebuilt. This time technology is doing the heavy lifting, and humans are serving as the quality assurance layer. I would not have designed it that way without going through that experience first.

Q: How has your personal story shaped the way you lead, build, and show up for your community today?
LJ: At the core of everything I do is one belief, and that is, we are here to serve. That shapes how I lead, how I build and how I show up. I want customers to walk away with better outcomes. I want employees to grow into stronger people and professionals. That is not something I say to sound good, it is genuinely what keeps me going.

Q: When people think of Lainika E. Johnson years from now, what legacy do you hope your work—and your story—will leave behind?
LJ: Years from now, I hope people remember me as someone who used every chapter of her story for a reason. Someone who built with intention, served with heart and kept going even when the path was hard. I want my legacy to be about more than what I achieved. I want it to be about what my work made possible for other people. I hope people see that I created impact, opened doors and left things better than I found them. And I hope my story stands as a reminder that even the hardest seasons can produce vision, purpose and lasting change.

Q: What is one word of advice you can offer to young women who want to reach your level of success?
LJ: Never stop learning. If your goal is to dominate in your field of expertise, you have to commit to being a lifelong learner. Things change. You never want to be the person that doesn't know that your industry has evolved.

Q: At the start of your career, what do you wish you had known? 
LJ: I wish I had known that no one cares about my feelings. In business, your results matter. And the only thing that matters is the last thing you did. Your family cares about your feelings but your colleagues care about outcomes.

Q: Which woman inspires you and why? 
LJ: I'm inspired by so many women. When I was a teenager, it was Oprah Winfrey because I am just drawn to women who build their own tables. And although Beyonce's younger than me I really respect her business acumen and what she has built intentionally for herself. My mother inspires me because she taught me the value of hard work without ever saying it. She showed me through her example, oftentimes working three jobs to make sure that we were able to maintain a middle-class life. She showed me her dream book when I was in high school and it really shaped the way that I manifested my dreams.

Q: What advice would you give to young women who want to pursue their dream and start a business? 
LJ: If you want to start a business first you have to examine what your motivation is. If your motivation is just to make a lot of money you will quickly burn out and the money will not be sustainable. If you're planning to start a business just understand that you will work harder than you ever worked on someone else's clock.

Q: After high school, where did you feel your career path would take you?  
LJ: After high school I really didn't have a plan other than I wanted to be a businesswoman because I saw a woman walking across campus in a red suit. I said to my friends I don't know what she is but whatever it is that's what I want to be.

Q: Can you tell us how you manage your work life balance?
LJ: I don't believe you can ever find perfect balance and work in life. I do believe in relative balance. There will be times when there will be more emphasis put on your personal life because that is where the need is. And then there will be times where you focus more on your work life because that is where the most need is. Work life is a constant juggle, but I think people put too much emphasis on having everything in perfect balance.

Q: What's your advice for women in male-dominated fields?
LJ: Never give up your femininity to be accepted. You don't have to join them just because you can't beat them. You just need to outperform them. And as women we have unique soft skills that men have a hard time accessing.

Seven Things About Lainika E. Johnson

1. What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time? 
When I'm not working, my favorite thing to do is to sit in my backyard. And if I'm out of town, I will find the closest thing to nature available. It helps me to just center myself and clear my mind so that I'm able to think strategically when I go back to work. And I just don't believe that life is all about work.

2. Among your friends, what are you best known for? 
I am best known for great ideas. I have a reputation amongst my friends of being the person to come up with an idea and write a plan of execution.

3. What’s your favorite international food? 
My favorite international food is Indian food. I've never had bad Indian food in any country I've ever been to.

4. What’s your favorite app on your phone? 
My favorite app is of course my own, Tattl.app.

5. What’s your favorite quote or saying? 
My favorite quote is fish and company stink after 3 days. My mother told me that as a child all the time. And as I got older it has proven true in so many instances. Visiting someone for 3 days in their home is the perfect amount of time before you wear out your welcome. It's true in business as well. Conferences, meetings over multiple days are really boring after 3 days.

6. Do you read reviews, or just go with your gut? 
I read reviews. I learned the hard way not to rely on pictures or vibes.

7. What’s your signature drink? 
Grande flat white with soy milk, two pumps of vanilla, two pumps of caramel.