Run a business that innovates the glass recycling industry.

Envision Charlotte is hiring an entrepreneur-in-residence to launch and operate Crush Truck — a mobile glass recycling service for bars and restaurants in Plaza Midwood and Southend. Three-month paid program. Take it over and run it as your own.

Run a real business, with real customers, from day one.

Most entrepreneurs spend the first year of a new venture figuring out if anyone wants what they're selling. You won't.

Crush Truck already has paying customers, a defined route, a Ford F-150 Lightning with a glass crusher, and an operating base at the Barn at 932 Seigle Ave. Your job is to run it, grow it, and make it yours.

Here's how it works. The first three months are paid — you're an entrepreneur-in-residence at Envision Charlotte, learning the business hands-on while we cover your stipend. At the end of the program, you have the option to take over operations as the independent owner-operator, paying Envision a flat monthly fee per route while keeping the rest of what you earn.

You'll work alongside the team at Envision Charlotte — a nonprofit with deep roots in Charlotte's sustainability community and an existing network of bar and restaurant relationships. You get the runway of a startup without the loneliness of one.

Who we're looking for

Recent grads and career-changers both welcome. We care more about how you think than what's on your resume.

  • You can drive a truck and aren't afraid of physical work

  • You like talking to people — bar managers, restaurant owners, drivers, construction folks

  • You've run something on your own before, even something small

  • You care about the environmental angle, or at least you're curious about it

  • You want to run a business, not work in one

Month 1 — Learn the business

Ride along on routes, meet customers, learn the equipment, understand the unit economics.

Month 2 — Take the wheel

Run routes independently with backup support. Start identifying growth opportunities — new customers, new neighborhoods, new revenue streams.

Throughout: weekly check-ins with Envision Charlotte leadership, access to our network of mentors and partners, and a paid stipend.

The numbers

Program stipend: Month 1 - $1000, Month 2 - $600 + % of Sales, Month 3 $300 + % of Sales

Post-program economics: A typical route at 30 customers generates roughly $8,400/month in gross revenue at current pricing. After operating costs and a flat monthly fee to Envision, an owner-operator nets in the range of $4,500–$5,000/month. Scaling to 50+ customers — which is realistic — pushes that higher.

Full financials and the operator agreement are shared during the interview process.

FAQ’s

  • Description text No — Envision has the truck. If you'd prefer to bring your own, that's an option too, with different economics we'll walk through during the interview.goes here

  • No. The Ford F-150 Lightning doesn't require a commercial driver's license.

  • That's fine. The program is paid; there's no clawback. We'd rather have someone make a clear-eyed decision than commit to something that isn't a fit.

  • Out of the Barn at 932 Seigle Ave in Charlotte. The current route covers Plaza Midwood and Southend.

  • Envision owns the contracts during the program. Post-program, the operator agreement governs how that transitions.

  • July 7th

  • Application, then interview with the Envision Charlotte team. We're looking for fit on operator skill, entrepreneurial drive, and mission alignment.

Month 3 — Make it yours

Build the plan for how you'll run Crush Truck post-program. Decide whether to take over.

Think this sounds like you?

Application takes about 10 minutes. We'll review and get back to you within two weeks.

Apply Here!

Questions before you apply? Email us here or come by the Barn at 932 Seigle Ave.

What is the Crush Truck

Crush Truck visits bars and restaurants weekly, crushes their used glass on-site using an electric truck-mounted crusher, and turns it into sand that gets used locally for construction and landscaping. It keeps glass out of the landfill, eliminates the cost and emissions of hauling it long distances, and replaces mined natural sand with a recycled alternative.

Envision Charlotte launched it as part of our mission to make Charlotte more sustainable.