Beginning in the afternoon on Wednesday, March 5, Sustainability in Packaging US 2025 will kick-off with two pre-conference workshops followed by two exciting days of general sessions on March 6 - 7.
Add the pre-conference workshops for just $400! Access to both workshops is included in your ticket - choose onsite which sessions you sit in on. All recordings and presenations will be available after the conference if you miss a session or two!
See what was covered at the 2024 event below:
Scott Byrne serves as the Assistant Director of Global Sustainability at Sonoco, a global packaging solutions leader, committed to improving the lives of customers, teammates and communities. With his extensive background in all aspects of environmental management and sustainability, Byrne helps ensure Sonoco is on the cutting edge of sustainability initiatives.
As the Vice President of the American Institute for Packaging and the Environment (AMERIPEN) Board of Directors, Byrne works to further the organization’s goal of leading the packaging industry through advocacy based on science. Prior to joining Sonoco, Byrne was the Market Sustainability Manager for the US and Canada at Tetra Pak, where he was responsible for the implementation of sustainability programs and driving positive stakeholder engagement as the Director of Government Affairs at the Carton Council of North America, a recycling-focused industry group.
Byrne holds a master’s degree in environmental management and sustainability from the Stuart School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, as well as a Juris Doctor from the Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Florida Bar. Byrne received his bachelor’s degree in business economics and public policy from Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, in Bloomington, Indiana. When not working, Scott enjoys exploring the outdoors with his wife and son and their two miniature schnauzers.
James leads insight and innovation for Cambridge Design Partnership across major CPG food and drink clients, with responsibility for ‘joining up the dots’ between consumer needs and breakthrough packaging innovation. James helps clients tackle their biggest challenges, with a resolute passion for improving brands and businesses, by overcoming the barriers and unlocking opportunities to move toward a sustainable circular economy.
James has over 25 years of experience in the innovation and design industry, working for leaders in brand consulting and pack design, such as Landor Associates and Design Bridge prior to CDP.
Billy Rice leads ALPLA Inc.’s sustainability efforts across 16 plants in North America. With focus on reducing scope 1-3 emissions, his efforts align with the company’s global pledge to increase sustainable practices and influence customer decisions for the more conscious buyer. His implementation of strategy includes innovative operational processes, cultivating company culture while increasing value for stakeholders and advocating for honest change within the packaging industry. He previously led the strategy and implementation of sustainability programs in collaboration with key stakeholders for Pembina Pipeline Corporation and serves as an advisory board member for generating awareness and promoting equity and inclusion for indigenous communities.
Billy is a GRI Certified Sustainability Professional and holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Georgia along with Master’s degrees in Public Administration from the University of Georgia and Development Practice from Emory University.
Larine Urbina is the Vice President of Communications for Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada. She leads a dynamic team focused on bringing the company’s values and purpose to life and has responsibility for all aspects of communications, including social media, public relations, sustainability communications, marketing communications, events and employee communications.
In addition to her role at Tetra Pak, she also serves as Vice President of Communications for the Carton Council of North America, an industry organization that works to expand carton recycling access and rates.
Prior to joining Tetra Pak in 2014, Larine held a range of communications roles with GameStop and Rexel Holdings USA. With over 15 years of communication and brand management experience across several industries, Larine brings a broad view to brand storytelling that centers on authenticity and always puts the audience first.
Always curious and a relentless knowledge-seeker, Larine spends her free time travelling, experimenting with new foods and drinks, and going down the online research rabbit hole.
Bio coming soon!
Tim is the sole director and founder of Lifecycles, a premium supplier of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and sustainability services, and owner of LCA software packaging tool, PIQET.
With over 25 years of experience in LCA, Tim is a pillar of the international Life Cycle community through his involvement with the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative, ISO standards development committee for ISO14048 and the Forum for Sustainability through Life Cycle Innovation.
Tim has been instrumental in the development of data and leading-edge scientific support for supply chain sustainability tools. He has contributed to several books, being co-author of Assessment: Principles, Practice and Prospects (CSIRO Publishing) and Design + Environment: A Global Guide to Designing Greener Goods (Greenleaf Publishing Limited). He strives to make a more rational science-based approach to environmental decision-making through his consultancy work, training and tool development.
Rachel Kenyon is the Senior Vice President of the Fibre Box Association (FBA), a non-profit trade association representing North American manufacturers of corrugated packaging. Rachel’s primary responsibilities include the association’s management, communications, marketing, and member relations.
Rachel joined the Fibre Box Association in 2008 as FBA’s Director of Member and Industry Relations and began serving as Vice President in 2011. She was promoted to Senior Vice President in December 2019. Prior to joining FBA, Ms. Kenyon was the Vice President of Marketing and Product Development and a member of the business management team for Weyerhaeuser’s Containerboard Packaging and Recycling Business. During her nearly ten years with Weyerhaeuser, she held several positions in marketing and management.
Rachel was the first director of the Corrugated Packaging Council, the precursor to the Corrugated Packaging Alliance, and was active in several industry committees during her time at Weyerhaeuser. Ms. Kenyon is a former board member of the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation.
Rachel is a proud Spartan graduate of Michigan State University.
Joe Dages helps clients successfully navigate the complex US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory requirements that apply to food, food additives, and food contact materials. He advises companies on all aspects of the premarket review requirements and pathways to market for these materials, as well as post-market compliance, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), labeling, marketing, risk, and litigation avoidance issues. In addition, he provides advice to clients seeking to establish the compliance of their products in other jurisdictions, including Canada, the European Union, and South America.
Bio coming soon!
35 years experience in the Household products and the food industry globally, in product, process and packaging development.
Responsibilities cover sustainability corporate goal deliverables for packaging, reporting out for Global EPR compliance, driving our How2Recycle label program and development programs to lower environmental impact.
Previous external role as Vice President of the International Microwave Power Institute.
Christian is a Research Specialist with the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan with master’s degrees in Sustainable Systems and Environmental Engineering. The Center for Sustainable Systems applies systems analysis techniques to develop models and accelerate high-impact solutions to sustainability challenges. Our research areas of expertise include life cycle assessment, sustainable supply chains, circular economy, impacts of emerging technologies, and the nexus of systems. Christian’s work focuses on measuring the environmental performance of reusable and single-use takeout containers across their entire life cycle and the design and planning of reusable container systems. He has completed analysis on an Ann Arbor, MI system and is working to assess a city-wide centralized system in Galveston, TX. This work expands on three decades of food system sustainability research including food packaging at the Center for Sustainable Systems. The current research is one of three plastics waste reduction projects through the Morgan Stanley Plastics Waste Reduction Research and Fellowship program established at the Center.
Bio coming soon!
Mr. Vitor Godoy is the Technical Service & Development Engineer in Kuraray America – PVOH Business unit, responsible for paper and packaging markets. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and master’s degree in Material Engineering, focused on polymer science, both from Federal University of Sao Carlos, Brazil. Vitor has over 10 years of technical service and customer collaborations in paper processing and coating, PVAc emulsion polymerization and textile sizing throughout Latin America. He recently relocated to the USA to expand his focus throughout the Americas.
I'm a senior project manager deeply knowledgeable and passionate on balancing environmental management with business strategy.
I've worked in industry and traveled globally leading corporate environmental management programs and providing hands-on technical expertise on emerging environmental issues.
I have the ability to anticipate environmental risk and minimize the impact through creative problem solving built upon a philosophy of practical, cost effective programs and enlightened environmentalism focused on communication, education, awareness, and information sharing.
Dr Vinay Kumar has over 10 years of experience in research, development, and innovation in the field of cellulose-based films and coatings. He joined VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in 2018 as a Research Scientist and is currently a Research Team Leader and Project Manager (IPMA-C) in the Biomaterials Processing and Products research area. He has an MSc (Tech) and DSc (Tech) in Paper Coating & Converting from Åbo Akademi in Finland. His BTech is in Pulp & Paper Technology from IIT Roorkee in India.
Kerry Sanders is the VP Market Development for EFI and focuses on driving awareness and adoption of EFI digital printing solutions for corrugated packaging in the eCommerce customer segment. Kerry's unique perspectives are informed by his executive experience in business development, operations, and marketing for Fortune 500 companies. Prior to joining EFI, Kerry served as Executive Vice President, Global Business Development at Craft Worldwide, an Interpublic Group (IPG) agency. Prior to Craft, Kerry held key leadership roles in sales and marketing at HP and Xerox, focusing on global new product introductions for digital transformations.
Gary is a mission-driven professional focused on advancing Sustainability for high-volume consumer goods. Sustainability challenges us to think differently. It challenges us to innovate and build systems solutions. Gary’s 30-years of diverse professional experience with global brands has prepared him well for this mission.
Gary started as a research scientist for Kraft Foods. This cultivated curiosity as a challenger, and analysis skills for building disruptive innovations. This is also when Gary became committed to Sustainability after the launch of his first consumer package into retail.
Gary has served in a multitude of leadership assignments. Each uniquely demonstrating his strength and diversity. Gary’s experience includes Global Manufacturing Engineer in India with the Amway Corporation, Sr. Manager New Product Development with Newell Rubbermaid, Director of Purchasing and Packaging for a global chemical company, and he was the first to build the packaging department for The Home Depot. As an innovator, Gary led development of a disruptive fiber technology for BillerudKorsnäs called Fibreform, a 3D cold formable paper to displace plastics.
Gary served a rotation in public policy, strategy, and government affairs for an Israeli based certified compostable biopolymer company called Tipa.
Gary currently operates as a fractional professional helping a portfolio of clients advance their Sustainability and innovation strategies. Gary is actively accepting new clients.
Jeremy joined General Motors in December of 2012 and is an active leader in GM’s Supply Chain Sustainability Group. In this role Jeremy leads supply chain efforts related to Energy, Packaging and Carbon emission reductions. He has extensive experience in the automotive sector but draws and builds off past experiences in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Jeremy was recently awarded the Department of Energy award for Better Practices for an Energy Treasure Map supplier outreach program for General Motors supply chain. His passion is in making a better tomorrow through Actions today.
Redefining what it means to clean, Ryan
Lupberger launched Cleancult in 2019 with
Zachary Bedrosian with a shared mission to
take on the cleaning industry’s dirtiest secret:
plastic waste. Together they created the first
company in the world to successfully package
soaps and detergents into 100% recyclable
paper-based cartons, prioritizing refilling over
landfilling.
Ryan’s lightbulb moment stemmed from a
simple observation: the absence of an
ingredient list on his laundry detergent bottle.
This discovery prompted him to develop a
cleaning system with no secrets, none of the
harsh stuff and no single-use plastic waste in
its wake. By combining patented paper-based
packaging, better-for-you ingredients, forever aluminum bottles and an entire product portfolio
that is Plastic Neutral Certified, verified by rePurpose Global, Cleancult reduces the amount of
single-use plastic that ends up in our oceans and landfills.
Californian designer Julia Marsh is the CEO and co-founder of Sway, a venture-backed materials company which produces compostable packaging made from seaweed. Julia's work is inspired by a lifelong affection for the ocean, and the belief that designers must take part in solving the planet’s greatest challenges. Sway is on a mission to replenish the planet by supporting healthy ocean ecosystems, eliminating plastic waste, and creating a more inclusive climate movement.
Nuha is on a mission to build a new standard for sustainable materials that puts our earth first. She founded erthos while still completing her Business & Environmental Economics degree at the University of Toronto (Rotman). When her peers headed off to full-time jobs after graduation, she decided to go full-speed with erthos, scaling the company to a team of 20, raising over $11M UA dollars, and launching global manufacturing pilots to tackle the issue worldwide. As an entrepreneur in an emerging technology space, Nuha plays an active role in supporting the development of the diverse innovation ecosystem in Canada and Globally. From serving as a board member of National sustainability organizations and accelerators like Canada Plastics Pact and Enactus Canada to mentoring young entrepreneurs and women in STEM, she is dedicated to supporting next-generation leaders who are collectively working together to positively impact this planet. Nuha's work in building erthos has been recognized globally, and the rapid expansion of erthos as one of Canada's fastest-growing cleantech companies. She was recently awarded by Bay Street Bull 30x30 and is on this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
Bio coming soon.
John Felts is the co-founder and CEO of Cruz Foam, which produces bio-benign foam and eco-friendly alternative packaging solutions that power key industry leaders to be the catalyst for a cleaner environment. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Toby Corey, Felts shares how his engineering studies and career led him to launching a startup, and offers advice for new tech entrepreneurs learning how to pitch to investors and build scalable solutions.
Based in NYC, Henry is a seasoned entrepreneur with extensive global experience creating, evolving and scaling purpose-driven brands. With an educational and professional background rooted in sustainability, he is an expert in behavior change campaigns, marketing, brand and consumer products.
Henry is currently Chief Commercial Officer at TURN, the global reuse platform where he oversees sales and marketing. Previously, Henry was the President / Founding Partner at ASYSTEM, an innovative supplements business that was acquired in 2023, and the Founder of TYME Food, a plant-based food company. Before this, Henry was Global Head of Sustainability at the global advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi.
Dr. Anne Schauer-Gimenez is the Chief Operations Officer and co-founder of Mango Materials, a San Francisco Bay Area-based scale-up company that manufactures a biobased and biodegradable polymer. Anne manages the Products team which is focusing on PHA formulations for injection molded goods, bio-polyester fibers, 3D printing for additive manufacturing, and thin films/sheets.
Anne fosters relationships with brands and their supply chain partners who are looking for sustainable cosmetic and food packaging, along with rigid products and biodegradable bio-polyesters for the fashion/textile industry.
I am Ram Ramakrishnan, Business Development Manager at Avery Dennison. I have a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University and an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management. I have lived in the Chicagoland area for the last 30 years. I am very passionate about sustainability by reducing waste in plastic packaging and delivering cost reductions in packaging. I work on projects that deliver sustainability without cost increase, and actually deliver cost savings, which is a win-win!!
Ravish Majithia leads Magnomer as founder & CEO. He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Texas A&M University. Ravish is also a Babson Fellow, Sorenson Award Recipient and MBA from Babson College. Magnomer is a winner of Materials Research Society’s Innovation Award & MassChallenge Gold.
Experienced executive with a demonstrated history of strategic business development and realised revenue growth in structural thermoplastics and management consulting industry. Skilled in Growth Strategies, International Business & Team Development and Campaigning. Driving Innovation, Commercial Excellence and Application Development in specification driven markets. Strong people manager with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused on Management of Innovation at TSM Business School, The Netherlands.
I’ve been in this industry for 2 and ½ decades! And have been focused on sustainable packaging and helping companies be more sustainable with their packaging. Working in a Weyerhaeuser corrugated production facility to pay my way through college helped me understand how corrugated is made and how it can be more efficient and sustainable. I’m married to an amazing supportive wife and we are so happy to have two wonderful kids. As the host of Sustainable Packaging Podcast I’ve learned so much about new sustainable products that are coming out to the market soon and I’ve seen how urgent this issue of change is for our environment. Join us in this movement towards sustainable packaging.
Susan Cornish is Principal Consultant at Insight + Action, a company she founded in 2017. Susan is a life-long researcher and strategist, always interested in digging deeper to understand the reasons why, and determining how changes can be made.
At Insight + Action, Susan helps clients define issues and research questions. She leads client engagements and manages all aspects of projects from research design and data collection, through analysis, reporting, and other deliverables.
Prior to Insight + Action, Susan was a Vice President at several global Consumer Insights firms. Here she worked with brand owners in Marketing, contributing to product and packaging development decisions. On the supplier side, Susan led research teams, developed more focused reporting methods, and worked with clients and IT to create client portals and automated reporting.
Susan has in-depth knowledge of packaging sustainability and the recycling industry, plus expertise in all aspects of product and packaging innovation research. Susan has worked with global clients in many sectors including packaging, consumer packaged goods, hospitality and foodservice, waste management/recycling and recycling non-profits.
Susan holds an Honors BA, 1st Class, from Simon Fraser University where she majored in Geography and Economics. She has an MSc and PhD from the University of Toronto where her dissertation research focused on product innovation.
Benjamin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and an M.B.A from the University of Akron. In his current role, Benjamin leads the strategic consulting division of Smithers Information in North America. This division works with clients to gather a deep understanding of their business goals, and to develop in-depth research programs to provide visibility into markets and niches. This process is designed to dig deep into a wide variety of industries and topics, gather insights, and provide an unbiased view of the key challenges faced by our clients. These efforts allow our clients to evaluate their strategic plans and make decisions based upon credible data and analysis, supported by robust research conclusions and recommendations.
Daniel Winkler is Executive Vice President Aluminum Division & Group
Sustainability of Constantia Flexibles and joined the company in February 2020.
Daniel Winkler combines a commercial perspective with sustainability topics and brings in first-hand knowledge of the market. Leveraging the unique lessons he learned from the industry, he knows exactly what it needs and how customers can transform to a
more sustainable packaging portfolio.
Daniel earned an Engineering degree and a Master in Business Administration in
Vienna. He held various Commercial and Operations positions across the globe, as
well as several Managing Director roles in the Packaging Industry in Europe. His broad
background in strategy, business development, sales, and operations makes him a crucial part of today’s Executive Committee of Constantia Flexibles.
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Passionate about sustainability and the impact of packaging on the global network, Kelly Helein champions change as a Board Member for the University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation, Smithers Pira Sustainability in Packaging (EU/US) and Specialty Papers (EU/US), and development committee for the Trout Museum of Art in Appleton, WI. Ambitious and resourceful sales and business development professional with expertise in building new markets and securing high-value contracts.
Proven track record of leading business development and sales function in multiple industries, creating innovative product positioning and strategies, and executing projects within stringent timelines. Talented communicator, skilled in fostering relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Expert in identifying, mentoring, and leading high-performing sales and technology support teams to achieve organization goals and deliver exceptional customer experience. Focus on growing business and generating revenue.
Experienced environmental sustainability leader with an established track record of leading sustainability programs and executing in high-tech organizations. Veteran with proven experience in building and developing international teams in fast-paced, highly technical, and operationally challenging environments.
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.
As Ocean Ambassador of the Netherlands, Willemijn Peeters is an established international speaker on circular plastics. Being highly committed to preventing plastics from ending up in our environment, Willemijn founded Searious Business, a social enterprise that makes the difference in the world of plastics. She works together with highly motivated international brand owners to close the plastic loop in 3 impact sectors: packaging, furniture, consumer electronics. Creating innovative, economically advantageous alternatives at the source, Searious Business strategically assesses internal plastic use, accelerates circular product & business innovation, and reduces external impacts on ocean ecosystems.
Willemijn has been awarded with several titles:
-Ocean Ambassador of the Netherlands;
-Green Solutions partner of the European Commission;
-Leader in Sustainable Top 100 in the Netherlands;
-Member of Dutch circular economy transition team;
-Winner Plastic Recycling Europe Award 2018;
-Winner National Energy Globe Award 2018;
- Developer of fully recyclable drink pouch
-Co-developer of Oceans and Plastics Platform, IUCN;
-Initiator of circular product line: 276pieces.com;
-Developer of Design Sofa from >95% recycled plastics (mainly packaging materials.)
www.seariousbusiness.com
Bio coming soon!
Bio coming soon!
Highly successful and cross functionally trained, consumer goods CEO and Board member with entrepreneurial experience from start ups to large corporations. Specializing in social responsibility, sustainability, change management and innovation where emphasis on leadership, new business, marketing and manufacturing knowledge are needed. Please reach out to me at msands@fenwayllc.com.
Sanna holds a master’s in mechanical engineering and has a background in business and market development. With a passion for sustainable solutions, she leads the commercial team that helps global clients implement PulPac’s patented technology for dry forming of cellulose. Dry Molded Fiber is a groundbreaking technology that makes fiber-based products a competitive and viable alternative to single use plastic. PulPac is the technology owner and world leader of Dry Molded Fiber. The vision is to make impact at scale in creating a better future for people and planet by enabling the packaging industry to replace single-use plastics with affordable and truly sustainable fiber-based product.
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.
Laura is a sustainability consultant with over 12 years of experience guiding companies across diverse sectors in their plastics and packaging strategies. Throughout her career, she has supported dozens of businesses in developing robust environmental strategies to reach sustainability targets. She currently leads the plastics and packaging solution at Quantis and managed the Plastic Leak Project — a multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Michelle co-founded Lorax Compliance in 2014 in order to help companies that are obligated under Extended Producer Responsibility and Product Stewardship legislation around the world. With 15 years of experience working in this sector, her focus is to ensure clients find the process of EPR and Stewardship reporting as simple as possible, despite the complexities placed on businesses by legislation. As COO, her role covers the management and delivery of several teams, including Accounts, Compliance, Sales, Marketing and Human Resources.
Olivia Barker leads producer recruitment, stakeholder engagement and communications efforts on behalf of Circular Action Alliance, a U.S., nonprofit Producer Responsibility Organization established to support the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility laws for paper and packaging. She has 15 years of experience leading policy, public affairs and communications initiatives for multi-national companies and clients spanning the food & beverage, retail, energy, environmental, technology, and non-profit sectors. Prior to joining Clear Strategy, Olivia led Amazon’s U.S. policy work on circular economy, packaging and recycling issues. She also worked for The Coca-Cola Company for 8 years, where she worked on packaging policy issues and held government relations and communications roles in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Tokyo, and Boston.
Nicole is a senior manager in the Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) practice.
Nicole is currently working with the EY Sustainability Services team in Atlanta leading client engagements on environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy; decarbonization pathways; and circular economy.
Nicole has over 16 years of experience in supporting clients across the hospitality, retail and consumer products sectors through ESG-focused engagements.
Prior to joining EY US, Nicole worked at a major beverage company as Sustainability Director, where she led sustainable packaging and recovery.
Nicole has a Bachelor of Design in Architecture from the University of Florida.
Nate works in tandem with the Product Safety and Sustainability team in Finland to provide a range of services to the Americas market and functions as Metsä Board’s sustainability expert in the region. Based in the Norwalk, CT office, he is responsible for educating customers on the sustainability-related attributes of Metsä Board products and operations, which involves providing environmental impact data, regulatory/compliance information, and other relevant internal or industry resources. He also helps customers interpret sustainability information so they can effectively reduce the environmental impact of their packaging. Nate holds a BS in Chemistry, an MS in Environmental Science and Policy, and an MBA with a concentration in Sustainability and Social Change.
Nick is CAW's Director of Advocacy and has been with the organization since 2007.
In that time, Nick has led CAW’s team of advocates in campaigns to pass groundbreaking laws that have positioned California as a global leader in reducing and recovering waste. By building strong coalitions, he has helped enact policies to reduce the impacts of climate change, recover organic wastes, reduce plastic pollution, and develop sustainable markets for recyclable materials. Nick also engages in policy development and research, representing CAW on a variety of boards, commissions, taskforces, and coalitions.
Nick completed his Bachelors of Science in Environmental Biology and Management, with minors in Political Science and Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning, at the University of California, Davis. Before joining CAW, he interned at the Coalition for Clean Air and California State Parks and worked on native habitat restoration and youth leadership development through several positions at the Golden Gate National Parks.
When he is not talking trash, Nick can usually be found at an independent coffee shop or out exploring Northern California’s public lands with his wife Karen, son Abram, and dog Zelda.
Based in Emerald’s Toronto office, Neil’s sector expertise is in the field of advanced materials and processes; he co-leads the sustainable packaging practice at Emerald with Fredric Petit. As a Partner, he is delighted to be involved in all phases of the investment process, helping young deep-tech start-ups become heavy-hitters in the circular economy. Neil also joins with the entire Emerald team in supporting the open innovation initiatives of some of the world’s leading corporate partners as they achieve their sustainability and profitability goals. In the Emerald Portfolio, past and present Board roles include Phase Change Energy Solutions, Tropic Biosciences, actnano, Lucintech and others.
Neil’s academic background is in advanced materials (PhD in Chemistry from McGill University & BSc in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the University of King’s College (Dalhousie University)), but generally, if it has mass, occupies space, is intriguing and creates value, he is interested! Neil is a product of the global village and is happy to commiserate in English or French.
Michael Hodges is the Vice President, Sustainability and Communications for Huhtamaki North America. He is responsible for developing beginning-of-life and end-of-life sustainability strategies for Huhtamaki’s fiber-based, paperboard and plastic packaging. He is passionate about the role of packaging in providing safe, hygienic, accessible and affordable, food for everyone, everywhere.
Michael has more than 35 years of experience within the packaging industry with a career that has spanned responsibilities in business development, national and international sales team management, global communications, public affairs and sustainability. He holds an MBA from Emory University.
