Ed Mamou
University of Michigan, Ross School of Business
Age: 47
“Entrepreneurial builder and rainmaker driven by curiosity, intellect, kindness, and community impact.”
Hometown: Birmingham, Michigan
Family Members: Amber (wife), Rae (19 years), Luke (16 years), Oliver (13 years), Gus (10 years), and two puppies Mochi and Miso.
Fun fact about yourself: I fell in love with French culture, food, and wine during a study abroad experience at Kalamazoo College in 1999. When I returned to Metro Detroit in 2006 to take over my family’s recycling business, I was “hungry” and noticed a lack of fresh, seasonal, chef-driven cuisine. This realization led me to partner with a talented chef to launch The Root, later named Detroit Free Press Restaurant of the Year, and to co-found Mabel Gray in Hazel Park, which earned national acclaim as one of USA Today’s Top 40 Restaurants in America. I continue to return to France, often bringing team members along to experience firsthand the country that shaped my passion for food and wine. I proudly consider myself an enthusiastic, perennial French tourist, especially drawn to the Champagne region.
Undergraduate School and Degree:
Master of Applied Mathematics, University of California, San Diego
Bachelor of Arts, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Where are you currently working?
Royal Oak Recycling, Chief Executive Officer
Mabel Gray Restaurant, Proprietor
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles: During my EMBA, I achieved High Distinction and was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma. I also earned two leadership endorsements: the Michigan Ross Leader Endorsement (MRLE) and Thriving Catalyst through the Center for Positive Organizations. I am honored to have been selected as the cohort’s graduation speaker.
I currently serve as CEO of Royal Oak Recycling, a second-generation, family-owned business partnering with national retailers and manufacturers on sustainability initiatives. I was recognized as a Crain’s Business 40 Under 40 honoree.
Throughout my career, I have volunteered with the French Red Cross, contributed to community-supported agriculture (CSA) farming, and taught math at both the community college and undergraduate levels. An entrepreneur at heart, I am also a partner in several real estate and restaurant ventures.
I enjoy lifelong learning and traveling internationally in search of new experiences, cultures, and cuisine.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of the academic results I achieved during the EMBA program, as they reflect both my personal growth and the strength of our cohort. Equally meaningful was participating in the 2025 Michigan Business Challenge (MBC) alongside my EMBA classmate Jai Khatri. We developed a solution focused on serving legal immigrants whose financial needs are often unmet by traditional banking due to citizenship constraints, using a novel personal social risk profile. Our team advanced through five rounds of pitch competition and was named a finalist in the Seigle Impact Track, selected from over 210 teams across campus!
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Over the past 20 years, I have led by example, adapting to a changing environment while driving long-term growth of our family recycling business. We expanded from operating in one state to serving customers across more than 30 states in post-industrial paper and plastic recycling.
In 2024, I recognized the need for outside investment and created a path for family succession. I successfully managed a formal sale and equity investment process over two years, aligning stakeholders and positioning the business for the future. In 2025, I led the company through a strategic investment partnership with Tamarix Equity Partners to support its next phase of growth.
Who was your favorite MBA professor? While the entire program was meaningful, I particularly enjoyed the organizational psychology-focused coursework. Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks (JSB) was my favorite professor due to his ability to shift my perspective and stretch my thinking on what it means to lead.
His emphasis on emotional intelligence, thriving, and human connection within organizations was inspiring. It introduced a dimension of leadership I hadn’t really considered during my time in small family businesses and entrepreneurial ventures, where the focus was more tactical and execution-driven.
JSB’s teaching challenged me to think beyond results alone and consider how stronger human connections and positive organizational environments can drive better performance. It fundamentally changed how I view leadership and its impact.
Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? I was at an inflection point both personally and professionally, leading a no-longer-small family business. I knew I needed to broaden my perspective, so after seeking advice from corporate executives and recruiters in my network, I focused on top Executive MBA programs across the country and attended an open house at Ross in January 2024.
Everything about the experience was inspiring. The admissions team, prospective and current students, sample class, and leadership-focused curriculum were all energizing. After sharing my situation, the staff took the time to truly understand me and offer insights on how the program could help. In that moment, it became clear Ross is a community genuinely invested in helping me grow as a leader.
What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? The biggest lesson I gained was that business is the easy part; it’s the people who truly make the difference. Through the EMBA, I became a better friend, a better investor, and a more thoughtful leader by sharing real experiences alongside a group of high-performing peers. I also developed the financial skillset to engage more effectively alongside our private equity investment.
More personally, the program reenergized my passion for academics, something I hadn’t fully tapped into in over twenty years. It was about becoming a better person and growing alongside a community that continues to shape how I lead.
Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? Enrolling in the EMBA was a family decision from the start. We knew it would mean sacrificing time together, so we framed it as an investment in our future. I had to reprioritize: EMBA, business, then family. It forced intention in how I showed up in each area, and I made it a point to schedule at least one date night each week with my wife.
One way I made it work was by bringing my family into the experience. I shared parts of my coursework and even brainstormed ideas together, especially with my wife, who has a great instinct for contemporary marketing. I also created moments around the program, taking my kids on campus tours and attending college football games together. It made the experience something we shared, not something that took me away.
What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? Take advantage of every opportunity and resource the university offers, even those that may not seem directly related, and immerse yourself. Go beyond the core curriculum and explore cross-departmental resources, whether it’s organizational psychology, entrepreneurial ideas, or even patents being developed in other programs that need help getting to market.
The value extends beyond the classroom and into the broader university ecosystem. Some of the most memorable and unexpected experiences come from simply saying yes. For me, that included attending my first university football game in the fall of 2024, working with the Center for Positive Organizations, and competing in the Michigan Business Challenge.
Be curious and treat the experience as more than a degree. It’s a platform to connect, explore, and grow.
What was your biggest regret in business school? I didn’t have unlimited time to take advantage of all the electives and experiences available. For example, I wish I had been able to participate in the overnight Leadership Crisis Challenge and some of the weeklong executive education courses.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Several professors leaned into AI and built it into the coursework, including a micro-elective on generative AI and Coursera courses like Generative Leadership: Inspiring Adaptability in an AI World. Others encouraged us to use specific prompts and treat AI as an assistant, not a search engine.
I found it helpful for brainstorming and refining ideas, but it still requires human judgment since it can produce incorrect results.
From the Coursera course, I learned that one of the biggest risks is that organizations get stressed and become less open to new ideas. Good leadership in an AI world means creating the right conditions for adaptability by a shared purpose.
What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? I wanted to fully engage in an in-person curriculum with focused time on campus, while still being able to manage work during off-residency periods. We spent meaningful time together both in and outside the classroom, which led to lifelong friendships and bonding over food and drinks. It also gave me the chance to step away from the day-to-day and fully immerse myself in the experience.
The program offered a great balance of collaboration and independence, with a mix of team-based and individual work.
How did you finance your EMBA and what did you do to make tuition and associated costs more affordable? I paid for my EMBA 100% out of pocket. We used family savings and cut back on family vacations for the time during the program.
What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? Based on my experience, the EMBA program, and the perspectives gained from my cohort, I’m interested in creating content through coursework and seminars, especially around entrepreneurship and family succession planning.
With over 25 years as an executive leader and the added perspective from my EMBA experience, I also see myself providing board-level guidance and contributing to academic programming. I’m motivated to support and serve others in executive roles, navigating similar challenges, turning some of the tougher moments of my career into something positive for others.
This program has reignited my passion for lifelong learning, and I want to carry that forward by sharing experiences and helping others grow.
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