Ron Berry believes “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,” says Berry, who earned a B.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, Delaware; Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Salem County, New Jersey; 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 says. “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,” says 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,” says 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,” says 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 says. 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,” says 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.”