Ron Berry believes that “doing good” is in his family’s DNA and draws inspiration from relatives like his cousin Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative, whose bestselling memoir Just Mercy became an award-winning movie.
As the Managing Partner of Social Contract, Berry continues their family legacy, tackling gun violence, homelessness, housing, and other critical concerns.
“What we focus on are big social issues,” said Berry, who earned a bachelor’s in Marketing from Wilmington University. “We’re the intersection point between governments, communities, and the private sector — and really provide capacity and support to governments to help them get things done.”
Community Impact: Connecting ‘Data, Strategy, and Empathy’
Named the Delaware Business Times 2024 Small For-Profit CEO of the Year, he’s teamed up with leaders in Wilmington, Del.; Allegheny County, Pa.; Salem County, N.J.; and other states to effect lasting change.
“We’re able to pull all of these different perspectives together around national best-practice models and then implement them,” Berry said. “We don’t just want to write the report. We want to be there to actually get it done.”
He and his team follow a five-stage process: discover, design, implement, measure, and sustain.
“It’s really nice to have been in business long enough to see the whole process mature to get to the other side,” said Berry, who joined the firm early on.
Founded in 2017, Social Contract made the 2023 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. Berry leads its strategic growth, business, and financial operations.
“As Wilmington University staff, we’re proud to see our alumni using their education to make a real difference,” said Jeffrey Martino, WilmU’s Senior Director of Partnerships and Community Affairs. “Ron Berry’s leadership at Social Contract is a great example of how business skills, when combined with purpose, can drive meaningful change. His ability to connect data, strategy, and empathy reflects the kind of well-rounded impact we hope to inspire in all our students.”
That admiration is mutual.
“I’m so proud of the University itself,” said Berry, a former First Baseman on WilmU’s baseball team. He calls it a “tailored, bespoke experience,” where you can learn “exactly what you need to be successful.”
Collaborating with WilmU’s College of Business
Berry also hopes WilmU will play a role in future successes. He’s pursuing a project with Dr. David Gomez, a WilmU College of Business Program Chair and Professor.
“We’re working with his class on AI automation, AI integration, and the ability to utilize AI in innovative ways for real-world practical solutions,” Berry said. The goal is “to help us be more efficient and effective in our delivery of our services to governments and communities.”
At Social Contract, “we think there’s a world in which we can do good and be good at the same time,” said Berry, who’s looking to hire new talent. He appreciates the value of a WilmU education and offers some advice to graduates: “You can utilize that foundation to do anything that you want to do.”
Learn how you can become a social champion like Ron Berry at WilmU. Wilmington University offers accredited academics in a caring community. Explore more than 200 degree and certificate programs.
