Recovery Hardware: Building & Selling a Business That Heals
Gina Schaefer, Retired CEO, Ace Hardware
What does it actually look like to build a business that heals and then sell it without breaking what made it matter?
In this episode of Ethical Exits, Hannah sits down with Gina Schaefer, founder and retired CEO of a $50M, 13-location Ace Hardware business based in Washington, DC.
Gina didn’t set out to build a movement. She opened a hardware store to pay a mortgage after she was laid off and serve her neighborhood. But a single, practical decision—removing the felony checkbox from job applications—quietly reshaped the culture of the business, the lives of its employees, and the legacy it would leave behind.
Years later, the community gave the business a name Gina never would have chosen for herself: Recovery Hardware.
This episode explores how culture is built through decisions, not decks—and how selling a business can be a joyful opportunity to amplify what it has already become.
To learn more about Gina’s work, hire her as your keynote speaker, or order her book, visit her website or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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At Ethical Exits, we champion profit-for-purpose capitalism—leveraging business as a force for scaling philanthropy and meaningful change.
In each episode, we ask guests to highlight a cause close to their heart. For Gina, that cause is Rasa Legal — a nonprofit using technology to help people expunge criminal records and remove barriers to employment, housing, and opportunity.
Rasa Legal’s work directly extends the values Gina lived inside her business. Creating second chances, restoring dignity, and expanding access to economic participation.
🔗 Learn more or support their work: https://rasa-legal.com/
