March 6-8, 2024
Swissotel Chicago
Returning to Swissotel Chicago, Sustainability in Packaging US will take place March 6-8, 2024, to deliver timely updates and firsthand industry insights into the emerging developments, notable market trends, and cutting-edge packaging solutions that are steering the supply chain towards an increasingly circular economy and more sustainable future.
In 2023, we united the entire packaging value chain, including brand owners, retailers, packaging converters, manufacturers, suppliers, recyclers, and more, as Sustainability in Packaging US was designed to facilitate industry collaboration, support the sharing of ideas, explore innovative solutions, and deliver upon the collective promise of increased sustainability within the packaging industry.
Thank you to Ink Factory Studio and our 2022 visual note taking sponsor UPM Raflatac. Click here to learn more about sponsoring in 2023.
Kara Stoney brings a wealth of experience in packaging development and sustainable marketing strategy, with over 10 years of industry expertise. Following her graduation from Michigan State University, Kara began her career at Havi Global Solutions, focusing on lightweighting and cost savings in beverage and dessert packaging. She is most proud of leading the sustainability project that replaced foam coffee cups with fiber cups for the McDonald's system. Kara continued her work in sustainable packaging at SC Johnson, where she served as the global lead for Glade aerosol packaging, working on new global product developments and developing life cycle analysis standards for new packages. She then moved into sales at Bostik, quickly transitioning to the role of Sustainability Marketing Manager for the Advanced Packaging division, where she developed overall sustainability strategies. Kara now works at Dow with her primary focus centering on fostering the circular economy while also emphasizing decarbonization. Within her role, she channels her expertise towards the exploration and implementation of strategies that drive circularity within the sustainable packaging landscape. By highlighting the significance of recycling and sustainable practices, Kara actively works towards a future where resources are efficiently utilized and industry waste is minimized. Her dedication lies in contributing to a more sustainable industry that promotes resource efficiency and waste reduction.
Sameer is a R&D Director, External Innovation at PepsiCo. In this role, he manages PepsiCo’s open innovation platform and strategic partnerships to source external technologies that can impact the company’s wide portfolio of food and beverage products. These technologies can range from packaging materials, ingredients and processing to digital technologies and business model innovations.
Prior to his current role, Sameer held various roles within Packaging R&D at PepsiCo and before that at the Wm. WRIGLEY Jr. Company, successfully leading packaging development for commercial launches of new beverage, food and confectionary products as well as longer term development on new packaging materials and technologies. Sameer began his career in the materials industry working on polymer films and coatings as well as glass and fiberglass for GE Plastics and PPG Industries. He has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston and B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Rich McNabb has been the Global Director for Packaging at Church and Dwight Co. Inc. since 2015. He has worked in the Packaging Industry for over 30 years and is committed to driving Sustainability. Rich is responsible for Global Packaging Development and Sustainability strategy, working closely with the Church and Dwight Sustainability Council. Prior to Church and Dwight, Rich worked at Unilever in Europe and US, where he was a Global Director for Packaging. He has worked across a number of Global Brands and created packaging Innovations and Sustainability solutions over the course of many years.
Rich is a Mechanical Engineer, having been to university in his home town of Liverpool, UK. He is passionate about finding new innovations for consumers and for the planet and is proud of the great progress that he and his team have already made in support of Church and Dwight’s Sustainability goals.
Rose Shulman recently joined LEGO as the Sustainable Packaging Manager. Previously, Rose had been a Packaging Engineer at Hasbro since 2011. There, she is a member of the Sustainability Center of Excellence and helps lead the company’s packaging sustainability initiatives. She is passionate about making the world a better place by designing for the environment and innovating for the future. Prior to working at Hasbro, she was a Packaging Engineer at The Hershey Company. She has an Industrial Design degree from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Bio coming soon!
Dr. Sandeep Kulkarni is the founder and President of KoolEarth Solutions Inc., a technical consulting and business development company focused on helping companies develop and commercialize new sustainable packaging solutions as well as to improve the sustainability footprint of existing packaging and to reduce/eliminate packaging waste. He is also VP, Plastics and Packaging at Ubuntoo (www.ubuntoo.com), a unique environmental solutions platform to address plastic waste, plastic litter, food waste, sustainable fashion and so on.
Sandeep has over 20 years of industry experience working for several large packaging companies, such as International Paper, Neenah Paper and Georgia Pacific. Most recently he worked for PepsiCo, in the area of sustainable beverage packaging. His diverse expertise includes recycling, bioplastics, paper based as well as molded fiber packaging. Sandeep has 7 granted patents as well as several publications in industry journals. He has also served on conference advisory boards and has delivered several invited presentations, at international conferences, on the topics of sustainability and sustainable packaging. Sandeep serves as an Adjunct Professor at The Packaging School (a spinoff from Clemson University) as well as the North Carolina State University. Recently he was elected to serve as member of the Executive Committee of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) for 3 year term (2021-2024)
Originally from Australia, Tristan’s experience ranged across several technical industries including advanced manufacturing, oil & gas, and mining. After graduating from the London Business School MBA programme in 2015, Tristan joined the brand strategy consultancy Millward Brown Vermeer, in their New York City office, working across global food and beverage clients running segmentation, brand extension, and new market entry projects. Upon returning to the UK, he joined as the Group Commercial Director for Bread Holdings - a PE-backed bakery portfolio business with brands such as GAIL’s and The Bertinet Bakery - before coming to Notpla, a sustainable packaging start-up in early 2021. There, he is leading the commercialisation of a portfolio of packaging products based on seaweed and plant extracts. On a personal note, Tristan had an idyllic childhood growing up on vineyards around Australia, is a passionate road cyclist, and father to a very determined seven-year-old son.
As co-founder and CEO of DeliverZero, Lauren Sweeney aims to normalize reuse. Before she began working in marketing and research roles in startups, Lauren worked in an eco-friendly health food store and cafe, where she learned about the benefits of composting and reuse. As she gained new skills in the startup world, she watched technology-backed convenience culture drive an increase in waste. As a working single mom, Lauren relied on conveniences like restaurant delivery herself, but was frustrated by the wasteful packaging, so she co-founded DeliverZero to give customers a better option: takeout and delivery in returnable reusable containers. From the beginning, Lauren has been candid and accessible on social media and in her weekly newsletter, drawing attention to the reuse movement and to the DeliverZero brand. Lauren's experience running DeliverZero for the last 3 years gives her a unique point of view on how to make reuse truly work for restaurant workers and for customers. Thanks to DeliverZero's partnerships with DoorDash, Toast, Uber, Otter, Itsacheckmate, Whole Foods, Returnmates, and other partners, reuse is more accessible than ever.
Charles David is TC Transcontinental’s Manager of Public Affairs and Stakeholders Relations. As part of his role, he interacts with different players in the value chain, participates in numerous industry initiatives and committees (such as the Circular Plastics Taskforce and the Canadian Plastics Pact) and, as a leader in the printing and packaging industries, ensures increased commitment and engagement from TC Transcontinental towards building a more sustainable and circular economy. Charles David has been working in sustainability at TC Transcontinental since 2012 and was named one of the “Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leaders” in Canada by Corporate Knights in 2016.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences from McGill University, a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from École de technologie supérieure, and recently completed a diploma in public administration at École nationale d’administration publique.
Lynn Dyer is Chief Sustainability and Public Affairs Officer at Pactiv Evergreen, the leading manufacturer of fresh food and beverage packaging in North America. In her current role, she directs the company’s sustainability and government relations initiatives and serves on the Board of Directors for several organizations, including AMERIPEN, the Biodegradable Products Institute and the Foundation for Plastic Recycling.
Ms. Dyer brings 25 years of experience to the field of foodservice packaging. She spent 21 years with the Foodservice Packaging Institute, where she advocated for the interests of the foodservice packaging industry in North America. Prior to joining FPI in 1998, she worked with the European Food Service & Packaging Association (now 360° Foodservice) in Brussels, Belgium.
Ms. Dyer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Richmond.
Ryan is the Program Manager of Sustainability for Global Packaging with Abbvie and holds a B.S. in Packaging Sciences from Michigan State University. He has more than 15 years of product and package design, engineering, and manufacturing experience across the consumer goods and pharmaceutical industries.
Being a dad of identical twin boys, and loving the great outdoors year-round, Ryan has a vested and personal interested in leaving this planet in better care than we found it. The struggles and fights of today will leave their mark with our kids tomorrow.
Annika Greve is the Sr. Director Business Development, Global for Loop, TerraCycle’s circular reuse platform that launched in 2019. TerraCycle is known for Eliminating the Idea of Waste and Loop enables consumers to purchase products in reusable packaging.
