Eric Dayton is the founder and CEO of Cold, a venture-backed sustainability management platform that streamlines compliance for organizations of all sizes. Previously, he co-founded Askov Finlayson, a climate-positive winter outwear company and certified B Corporation with the mission to Keep The North Cold. Eric was the co-founder and managing partner of a James Beard Award-winning restaurant and a team member of Arctic Transect 2004, a six-month, 2,000-mile dog sled expedition led by legendary polar explorer Will Steger.
Eric is the founder and board president of The Great Northern, an annual 10-day winter festival that celebrates Minnesota’s signature season. He also serves on the board of The Constellation Fund, which identifies and supports the most impactful poverty-fighting nonprofits in the Twin Cities. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and served on Governor Tim Walz’s Advisory Council on Climate Change. He is a graduate of Williams College and received his MBA from Stanford University. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and three sons.
Eric is a fifth-generation member of the Rockefeller family.