Speakers Bios

PRESENTER

AMY CANNON

Executive Director and Co-Founder at
Beyond Benign

LinkedIn

Dr. Amy Cannon received the world's first Ph.D. in Green Chemistry. Holding an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Saint Anselm College (1997), Amy sought to use her chemistry degree within the field of sustainability. At the University of Massachusetts Boston, she met Dr. John Warner, who introduced her to green chemistry, a blossoming movement in the late 1990's. It was there where they created a Ph.D. concentration in Green Chemistry, addressing the education gap in chemistry education – chemists were not being properly prepared with skills to design and create solutions to support the development and implementation of sustainable chemical products. After working in industry (Rohm and Haas, and Gillette Company) and academia (University of Massachusetts Lowell), Amy remained passionate about Green Chemistry education, recognizing the growing need for education systems to change to prepare scientists with Green Chemistry skills to address sustainability through chemistry. In 2007, Amy co-founded, Beyond Benign, a non-profit solely dedicated to advancing Green Chemistry education. Since inception, this organization has been leading Green Chemistry education initiatives in K-12 through higher education, focusing on empowering educators to make transformative changes in their teaching and practice.

Amy has been recognized for her work in research (Kenneth G. Hancock Memorial Award in Green Chemistry in 2004, for titanium dioxide semiconductors and their application in dye-sensitized solar cells) and also for her leadership in driving green chemistry education (2012 EPA New England Environmental Merit award). Beyond Benign's work has also been recognized through the ACS NERM Partners for Progress and Prosperity (P3) Region Award (2016), and as a semi-finalist in the Buckminster Fuller Challenge (2013).

PRESENTER

JEFFREY WHITFORD

Vice President of Sustainability and Social Business Innovation at MilliporeSigma, the U.S and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany 

LinkedIn

Industry-Academia Partnerships to Support Innovation and Workforce Development

VIRTUAL PRESENTER

BARCLAY SATTERFIELD

External Innovation Technology Manager at Eastman Chemical Company

LinkedIn

Dr. Barclay Satterfield is the External Innovation Technology Manager for Eastman Chemical Company. Barclay and her teammates connect industry and university researchers to drive collaborative innovation. Her office on the NC State University Centennial Campus manages multi-year research partnerships with NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, and the University of Tennessee.

Prior to joining Eastman in 2013, Barclay performed life cycle assessment studies for the ag, packaging, and retail industries as a consultant and was a Science Policy Fellow for the American Chemical Society’s Office of Public Affairs.

Barclay earned her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University and her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Yale University.  She lives near Raleigh, NC with her husband, toddler son, teenage stepson, and his cat Momo.

PRESENTER

ISAMIR MARTINEZ

Scientific Alliances & Business Engagement Manager at the ACS Green Chemistry Institute

LinkedIn

Dr. Isamir Martinez is currently the Scientific Alliances and Business Engagement Manager at the ACS Green Chemistry Institute®; leading efforts to enable the implementation of green chemistry and engineering throughout the global chemical enterprise by working with the ACS GCI Industrial program, engaging stakeholders and other strategic collaborative programs. Extensive scientific background in organic chemistry, medicinal/process/pharmaceutical chemistry, biocatalysis, chemical sourcing and green chemistry. Prior to joining ACS, worked at Neurogen Corporation, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, and consulted for several years, building alliances, managing projects, and developing business with biotechs and Contract Research Organizations (CRO’s). She has also taught organic chemistry courses at Quinnipiac University & University of Connecticut. Over the course of her career, Isamir gained broad experience developing, implementing and promoting innovative technologies while managing projects in cross-functional, multidisciplinary and global team environment.

Isamir holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from University of Connecticut, and a B.S. in Chemistry from University of Puerto Rico. After her Ph.D. she served as a Dreyfus fellow at Connecticut College. She has a Master Certificate in Applied Project Management, is a PMP certified and has been an ACS member since 1994.

PRESENTER

DAVID LAVISKA

Portfolio Manager for Green Chemistry and Sustainability in Education at the ACS Green Chemistry Institute

LinkedIn

Dr. David A. Laviska is the Portfolio Manager for Green Chemistry and Sustainability in Education. Prior to joining the ACS Green Chemistry Institute®, he was an Assistant Professor at Seton Hall University where he is co-director of the Academy for Green Chemistry, Stewardship, and Sustainability. As a pedagogical innovator, he led the effort to incorporate the principles of Green Chemistry throughout the Organic and General Chemistry curricula and was recognized by the College of Arts and Sciences as “Professor of the Year” in 2020. As a first-generation college student and member of the LGBTQIA+ community, he took leading roles in working with undergraduate STEM students from across the spectrum of underrepresented groups. His research focuses on green(er) synthesis and characterization of late transition metal complexes with unique optical properties and hetero- and homogeneous catalysis. His research students also develop and pilot green(er) experimental protocols for use in undergraduate teaching labs. Prior to his second career in academia, Dr. Laviska worked for more than a decade as an Environmental/Analytical Specialist with the EPA (Region II) and earned degrees in chemistry from Rutgers University (Ph.D.), University of Washington (M.S.), and Cornell University (B.A.).

Keynote Address

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

KAREN MADDEN

Chief Technology Officer at MilliporeSigma, the U.S and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany 

LinkedIn

Karen Madden is Chief Technology Officer for the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany (and/or its affiliates). In this role, she is shaping the Technology Roadmap and long-term R&D strategy, systematically exploring emerging opportunities that lead to breakthrough innovations. She is also responsible for leading the Life Science Innovation board with a focus on ensuring a balance of long-term, high-impact programs with short-term, critical growth projects by using a rigorous portfolio management process and technology Key Performance Indicators. Karen represents Life Science in the global scientific community by building and managing relationships with key universities, start-up companies and industry organizations, as well as our customers.

Before joining the company, Madden served as Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at PerkinElmer. She was responsible for driving innovation across all the company's businesses and end markets. Since 2014, she has been part of Perkin Elmer's senior leadership team and was a key contributor to helping transform the business into a significant life sciences and diagnostics enterprise.

Opening Remarks and Keynote Session

PRESENTER

JOEL TICKNER

Executive Director at Change Chemistry

LinkedIn

Dr. Joel Tickner is a Professor of Public Health at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He is founder and Executive Director of Change Chemistry (formerly GC3); Executive Director of the Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment (A4), a professional association. He is a leading expert on application of green chemistry and alternatives assessment in science and policy. He has served on a number of EPA and National Academy of Sciences advisory committees and advises government agencies around the world. He holds a Masters of Science degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana and a Doctor of Science Degree from the Department of Work Environment at University of Massachusetts Lowell.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

PAUL ANASTAS

Teresa and H. John Heinz III Professor in the Practice of Chemistry for the Environment at Yale School of the Environment

Dr. Paul T. Anastas is the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Professor in the Practice of Chemistry for the Environment. He has appointments in the School of the Environment, Department of Chemistry, and Department of Chemical Engineering. In addition, Prof. Anastas serves as the Director of the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale. Anastas took public service leave from Yale to serve as the Assistant Administrator for the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Agency Science Advisor from 2009-2012. From 2004 -2006, Paul Anastas served as Director of the ACS Green Chemistry Institute in Washington, D.C. He was previously the Assistant Director for the Environment in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy where he worked from 1999-2004. Trained as a synthetic organic chemist, Dr. Anastas received his Ph.D. from Brandeis University and worked as an industrial consultant. He is credited with establishing the field of green chemistry during his time working for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the Chief of the Industrial Chemistry Branch and as the Director of the U.S. Green Chemistry Program. Dr. Anastas has published widely on topics of science through sustainability including eleven books, such as Benign by Design, Designing Safer Polymers, Green Engineering, and his seminal work with co-author John Warner, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

JOHN WARNER

President and CEO, Technology Greenhouse, LLC and Distinguished Professor of Green Chemistry, Monash University

LinkedIn

Dr. John Warner is one of the founders of the field of green chemistry. He wrote the book that provides the definition and 12 principles of green chemistry with Paul Anastas in 1998. As an industrial chemist, he has over 330 patents and has worked with hundreds of companies worldwide. He received the Perkin Medal in 2014 from The Society of Industrial Chemistry. As an academic, he was a tenured full professor of chemistry and a tenured full professor of plastics engineering at the University of Massachusetts where he started the world’s first PhD program in Green Chemistry. He has over 120 publications in synthetic methodologies, noncovalent derivatization, polymer photochemistry, metal oxide semiconductors and green chemistry. In 2022 he received the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Medal from the German Chemical Society and in 2004 the Presidential Award for excellence in science mentoring (PAESMEM) from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and President George W Bush. As an inventor, John’s inventions have led to the founding of many companies in the fields of photovoltaics, neurochemistry, construction materials and cosmetics. In 2016 he received the Lemelson Invention Ambassadorship from the Lemelson Foundation and the American Association for the Advancement of the Sciences (AAAS). John is a member of the Club of Rome, Distinguished Professor of Green Chemistry at Monash University in Australia, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, and Honorary Professor of Chemistry at the Technical University of Berlin where they have named the “John Warner Center for Start Ups in Green Chemistry.” John currently serves as President and CEO of The Technology Greenhouse.

Session 1 - Safe and Sustainable Solvents

MODERATOR

JEFFREY WHITFORD

Vice President of Sustainability and Social Business Innovation at MilliporeSigma, the U.S and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany 

LinkedIn

VIRTUAL PRESENTER

ANNA ZHENOVA

Founder & CEO at Green Rose Chemistry

LinkedIn

Dr. Anna Zhenova is the CEO of Green Rose Chemistry, a mission driven consultancy working to accelerate the sustainable chemical transition. She started her career in the US, working in labs at MIT, Caltech, and Carnegie Mellon before applying her chemistry expertise to advance green chemistry at the GC3. After earning her Ph.D. at the University of York, she founded Green Rose Chemistry in 2019 to provide unbiased expertise to companies transitioning to sustainability. She works with clients in industries ranging from fragrances to construction manufacturing, bringing green chemistry out of the lab and into practical use.

PRESENTER

JANE MURRAY

Global Head of Green Chemistry at MilliporeSigma

LinkedIn

Dr. Jane Murray joined Sigma-Aldrich in 2008. Following the acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in 2015, she was appointed global head of green chemistry for the life science division. Jane has a strong background in chemical research—having completed her Ph.D. at the University of York, where she researched green oxidations of organosulfur compounds using hydrogen peroxide. Having grown up next to a national park, Jane finds herself naturally driven to progress scientific innovations that help protect the environment. Jane has leveraged her experiences to effectively collaborate with fellow chemists in academia and pharma. Her efforts have resulted in the development of numerous publications supporting the uptake of green chemistry practices.  

PRESENTER

ALESSANDRO NAPOLI

Vice President of Product Development at Circa Group

LinkedIn

Dr. Alessandro Napoli joined Circa Group in September 2023 where he is responsible for the development of a healthy innovation pipeline based on levoglucosenone and its derivatives and for the further development of the Furacell™ process to valorise side streams. He holds a M. Sc. in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering from ETH Zürich. After a tenure at the University of Basel in Physical Chemistry he moved to industry joining Huntsman Corp. in the product innovation team of the Advanced Materials division where he spent 15 years before joining Circa.

PRESENTER

ART FONG

Apple Environmental Technologies Smarter Chemistry Lead at Apple

LinkedIn

Dr. Art Fong is the Environmental Technologies Smarter Chemistry Technical Leader at Apple, driving Apple’s efforts to remove harmful substances from its product designs and develop safer alternatives.

Art is engaged in a number of collaborative projects to advance the science and practice of green, sustainable chemistry to catalyze change across the electronics industry and beyond. He is co-chair of CHEMFORWARD’s Technical Advisory Group, working to guide hazard assessment harmonization, data quality, process transparency, and scientific integrity to identify chemicals that are inherently benign for their intended use. He is on the Design Team of the the Clean Electronics Production Network, which unites diverse stakeholders to understand, address, and eliminate workers’ exposure to toxic chemicals in the electronics supply chain. He is also a member of the Science Advisory Committee of GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals, a method for comparative chemical hazard assessment that can be used for identifying chemicals of high concern and safer alternatives.

Art is a product of the University of California educational system, receiving his undergraduate degree from UC Davis and his Ph.D. from UC Irvine.

MODERATOR

JENNY MACKELLAR

Program Director at Change Chemistry

LinkedIn

Jenny MacKellar is responsible for coordinating the expansive portfolio of Change Chemistry member offerings that include projects, work groups and more. She works closely with the Change Chemistry membership to help organizations optimize their Change Chemistry engagement. Jenny is also lead on all Change Chemistry events, including the annual US Innovators Roundtable and European Forum. Before joining Change Chemistry, Jenny spent nine years at the ACS Green Chemistry Institute coordinating green chemistry education initiatives, awards programs, and events, including the annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference. Prior to that, Jenny worked with various U.S. government agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. In these roles, she focused on science communication, science policy, federal grant management, and information technology solutions. Jenny holds a M.Sc. degree in molecular and integrative physiology from the University of Michigan and received her B.S. from the University of Denver in molecular biology with minors in chemistry and Spanish.

SPEAKER

TOM RICHARDSON

Chief Commercial Officer at Solugen

LinkedIn

Tom Richardson is an experienced professional with a background in marketing and product management. Tom currently holds the position of Chief Commercial Officer at Solugen, where he is responsible for overseeing all commercial activities. Prior to this role, Tom worked at BASF as a Marketing Manager, where he was involved in developing and implementing business, market, and sustainability strategies for the petrochemicals division. Tom'sefforts led to a significant increase in margins while maintaining volume in an oversupplied market. Before BASF, Tom held the position of Senior Global Product Manager at DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, where he managed a team and was accountable for highly profitable specialty product lines. Earlier in his career, he gained valuable experience at The Dow Chemical Company, holding various roles such as Senior Global Product Manager, Global Supply Chain & Commercial Manager, Production Coordinator, and Production Engineer. During their time at Dow Chemical, Tom developed strategic plans to optimize business profitability and implemented effective communication strategies to ensure long-term success. Tom also managed the global flow of products and led significant marketing studies and cost-saving initiatives. Overall, Tom Richardson has a strong background in marketing, sales, supply chain, product management, and operations, with a track record of driving growth and profitability in diverse industries.

PRESENTER 

KAYLA WILLIAMS

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead at Clean Production Action

LinkedIn

Kayla joined Clean Production Action as Communications and Program Coordinator in the summer of 2019. She is a recent graduate of Tufts University in which she earned a BA in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Sustainability, Policy, and Equity and a BA in Anthropology. Kayla brings communications and outreach experience from her previous internship work with the Clean Water Program of California's Consumer and Environmental Protection Agency of Santa Clara County, and the Environmental & Transportation Planning Division of Massachusetts's Community Development Department of the City of Cambridge.

Since joining the team, Kayla has played an essential role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and pushing for strategic and meaningful implementation of these values by the organization. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to guide our organization forward. Aside from her lived experience, Kayla's educational background in Anthropology has equipped her with a strong understanding of structures and practices of race and racism. Kayla is committed to working toward a cleaner, greener, and safer environment for people of all walks of life and looks forward to building her career in environmental justice and advocacy.

PRESENTER

KAREN CHU

Special Advisor and Environmental Fellow, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

LinkedIn

Karen Chu is on a long-term detail with the Smart Sectors team in EPA’s Office Policy. She comes from the Office of Research and Development, where she helped manage the Regional Science Program and the Sustainable & Healthy Communities National Research Program. She brings expertise at the nexus of program management, operational improvement, policy, research, and emerging technologies. Karen has working knowledge of all EPA statutes and programs, with a decade of experience leading new and existing chemical regulatory and voluntary program efforts under TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act). While on detail, she is serving as the Sector Lead for the chemical manufacturing sector, helping to develop a work stream on Environmental Justice and industry, and serving as the communications lead for the Smart Sectors program

MODERATOR

ANDY SHAFER

Founder, Strategist and Business  Builder, Author at Shafers Innovations and Business Building Service (SIBBS)

LinkedIn

Andy’s career includes being a founder and executive at two leading bio-material companies, Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc. and NatureWorks, LLC, holding senior business leadership roles at Cargill, Inc. and The Dow Chemical Company and helping to build and grow several start-up companies from university innovations. He is now helping large and emerging companies build their businesses and innovate, advising senior business executives at Fortune 100 companies and serving as an advisor and board member at several start-up and early-stage companies.

Andy developed the Strategic ROADMAP© approach to strategy to enable business owners, executives, and leaders to utilize a proven approach to defining a strategic plan that is simple, comprehensive, and clear. The approach has been used successfully by start-ups and large global organizations and the topic of numerous conference presentations.

Andy has a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, and a certificate in Managerial Issues in the Global Enterprise from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

He is active as an advisor and mentor with the University of Notre Dame’s Idea Center, the University of Minnesota Business Advisory Group, Northeastern Illinois University College of Business Management, and University of Wisconsin at Madison.

PRESENTER

MEG SOBKOWICZ-KLINE

Professor of Plastics Engineering at UMass Lowell

LinkedIn

Dr. Meg Sobkowicz Kline was born and raised in Massachusetts. During her undergraduate studies at Columbia University she discovered her interest in human impacts on the planet through a summer course on ecology at the Biosphere II facility in southern Arizona. She worked as a field engineer in the petroleum industry and in the municipal water treatment industry in New Mexico and Colorado before returning to school to complete her doctorate with Professor John Dorgan in the area of renewable polymer nanocomposites. Following her graduate studies she accepted a National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship at National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland to research polymeric materials for photovoltaic applications. She joined the Plastics Engineering Department in 2011.

PRESENTER

MIKE DELEE

Product Stewardship Director at Dow Inc. 

LinkedIn

Mike DeLee is the Product Stewardship Director for Packaging and Specialty Plastics and Hydrocarbons, a business unit at Dow, Inc. He has a B.S. in Polymer Chemistry from Louisiana State University. He has a passion for people, planet, and partnership. He has been working in the chemical industry, predominantly polymers, for 15 years in a variety of function, manufacturing, quality, and product safety. He represents Dow’s environment, health, safety, and sustainability function in various leadership, steering, and governance teams, as well as industry associations.

PRESENTER

RYAN SMITH

Co-Founder & CTO at Origin Materials

LinkedIn

Ryan Smith co-founded Origin Materials in 2008 and has served as Chief Technology Officer since inception. Mr. Smith has deep expertise in intellectual property protection, chemical and materials technology strategy, business development, and new product development within the chemical industry. Mr. Smith received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Davis.  

PRESENTER

NATALIE STIRLING-SANDERS

Chief Advisor, Head of Americas at Alliance to End Plastic Waste

Natalie Stirling-Sanders is Chief Advisor, Head of the Americas for the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a global non-profit organization that focuses on enhancing waste management capacity and capability by improving collection, sorting, processing, and recycling systems, especially in underserved regions. With over 30 years of experience, Natalie has spent most of her career working at the intersection of business, government, and civil society. While she has held a range of positions in the sustainability space, she has also run large global organizations focused on supply chain management, procurement, and financial operations. She is former Chair of the Board of WEConnect International, an organization that connects women-owned businesses with global value chains. She has also previously served on other boards, expert panels and cross sector committees focused on economic development, responsible supply chains and refugee settlement. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, Natalie has lived and worked in Canada, the United States and Japan.

Session 4: Tracking Progress

MODERATOR

ASLI TAMER VESTLUND

European Program Lead Programs at Change Chemistry

LinkedIn

Dr. Asli Tamer Vestlund is responsible for creating and managing the European membership programs and the European policy strategy, including coordinating the European Advocacy efforts. She works closely with the Change Chemistry European membership to help organizations optimize their Change Chemistry engagement.

Before joining Change Chemistry, Asli has spent 7 years at the H&M Group as a Global Public Affairs Lead and Product Compliance Specialist. Prior to that, Asli has worked for the Furniture Industry Research Association in the UK as a research lead, project and program manager and in the leadership team as well as for ABB International in various roles including health and safety advisor and project manager. Asli was awarded her PhD in the field of bioaerosols in compost from Cranfield University. Asli also has a Masters of Engineering in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering from the University of Surrey.

PRESENTER

AMY CANNON

Executive Director and Co-Founder at
Beyond Benign

LinkedIn

Dr. Amy Cannon received the world's first Ph.D. in Green Chemistry. Holding an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Saint Anselm College (1997), Amy sought to use her chemistry degree within the field of sustainability. At the University of Massachusetts Boston, she met Dr. John Warner, who introduced her to green chemistry, a blossoming movement in the late 1990's. It was there where they created a Ph.D. concentration in Green Chemistry, addressing the education gap in chemistry education – chemists were not being properly prepared with skills to design and create solutions to support the development and implementation of sustainable chemical products. After working in industry (Rohm and Haas, and Gillette Company) and academia (University of Massachusetts Lowell), Amy remained passionate about Green Chemistry education, recognizing the growing need for education systems to change to prepare scientists with Green Chemistry skills to address sustainability through chemistry. In 2007, Amy co-founded, Beyond Benign, a non-profit solely dedicated to advancing Green Chemistry education. Since inception, this organization has been leading Green Chemistry education initiatives in K-12 through higher education, focusing on empowering educators to make transformative changes in their teaching and practice.

Amy has been recognized for her work in research (Kenneth G. Hancock Memorial Award in Green Chemistry in 2004, for titanium dioxide semiconductors and their application in dye-sensitized solar cells) and also for her leadership in driving green chemistry education (2012 EPA New England Environmental Merit award). Beyond Benign's work has also been recognized through the ACS NERM Partners for Progress and Prosperity (P3) Region Award (2016), and as a semi-finalist in the Buckminster Fuller Challenge (2013).

PRESENTER

ADELINA VOUTCHKOVA  

Director of Sustainable Development at the American Chemical Society

LinkedIn

Dr. Voutchkova-Kostal is the Director of Sustainable Development at the American Chemical Society. She joined ACS in June 2023 from a robust academic career at the George Washington University as an Associate Professor in the Chemistry, with a research focus on development of methods that facilitate circular economies through catalysis and designer solvents. Her research has been recognized by a GWU Young Investigator Award, an NSF CAREER award and Rising Star award by the ACS Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference. In addition to research, she has been committed to green chemistry education, serving as co-Directing of the MS program in Environmental and Green Chemistry at GWU, and as curriculum developer for green chemistry coursework through ACS Green Chemistry Institute and the NGO Beyond Benign. She is also Principal of Designing Out Toxicity LLC, a service provider of predictive toxicology tools for hazard evaluation and design of functional and safer commercial chemicals. Prior to starting her independent career, she served as Research Associate at the Yale Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering and obtained a PhD in organometallic chemistry from Yale University with Bob Crabtree. She holds a BA in Chemistry from Middlebury College.

PRESENTER

JOEL TICKNER

Executive Director at Change Chemistry

LinkedIn

Dr. Joel Tickner is a Professor of Public Health at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He is founder and Executive Director of Change Chemistry (formerly GC3); Executive Director of the Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment (A4), a professional association. He is a leading expert on application of green chemistry and alternatives assessment in science and policy. He has served on a number of EPA and National Academy of Sciences advisory committees and advises government agencies around the world. He holds a Masters of Science degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana and a Doctor of Science Degree from the Department of Work Environment at University of Massachusetts Lowell.

PRESENTER 

DR. B. GAIL MCLEAN

Division Director (Acting) Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division at DOE

 Dr. McLean is the Director of the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences (CSGB) Division, and the team lead for the Photochemistry and Biochemistry team in the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy.  Dr. McLean joined the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division in November 2008 as a program manager for Photosynthetic Systems. Prior to joining DOE, Dr. McLean was a National Program Leader for Plant Biology in the Competitive Programs Unit of the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (now the National Institute of Food and Agriculture), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). She directed and provided leadership for four competitive grant programs while at USDA, three of which were in the National Research Initiative (NRI) competitive grants program: Plant Environmental Stress, Plant Biochemistry, Plant Breeding and Education, and Biotechnology Risk Assessment. She also served on the Interagency Metabolic Engineering Working Group and as an Acting Integrated Programs Director for the Competitive Programs unit. Dr. McLean has broad research experience in plant biochemistry and molecular and cell biology, conducting research in the Biochemistry Department at the University of Maryland-Baltimore Medical School and in the Plant & Microbial Biology Department at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). 

Session 5: Incentives and Regulations

MODERATOR

JOEL TICKNER

Executive Director at Change Chemistry

LinkedIn

Dr. Joel Tickner is a Professor of Public Health at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He is founder and Executive Director of Change Chemistry (formerly GC3); Executive Director of the Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment (A4), a professional association. He is a leading expert on application of green chemistry and alternatives assessment in science and policy. He has served on a number of EPA and National Academy of Sciences advisory committees and advises government agencies around the world. He holds a Masters of Science degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana and a Doctor of Science Degree from the Department of Work Environment at University of Massachusetts Lowell.

PRESENTER 

DR. KAY WILLIAMS

Joint Head of International Chemicals, Pesticides and Hazardous Waste Hub at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

LinkedIn

Dr. Kay Williams has been involved in international environment issues for over 20 years and currently jointly heads the International Chemicals, Pesticides and Hazardous Waste hub in the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.  She has a higher degree (PhD) in applied biology and has held a variety of policy and research roles within the UK Government. 

She is currently responsible for oversight of international activity in chemicals and waste including developing the UK’s negotiating position for the United Nations (UN) Multilateral Environment Agreements of Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Minamata Conventions in addition to the new Global Framework for Chemicals. She is the Senior Responsible Owner for a UK Overseas Development Assistance programme on Environmental Pollution working in VietNam and South Africa and manages a science diplomacy team. 

Recently she has been chair of the Chemicals and Biotechnology Committee of the Environmental Health and Safety programme at the OECD; was the UK co-chair the UN Beyond 2020 intersessional process to develop a new global chemicals  framework for protecting the environment and human health from harmful chemicals and waste; and is chair of the UN Special Programme Executive Board for the institutional strengthening of the chemicals cluster; Additionally, Kay sits on the Stakeholder Advisory group for an EU Precision Toxicology programme. 

PRESENTER

BEN DUNHAM

Principal Attorney at Dunham Law & Policy PLLC

LinkedIn

Ben Dunham is the founder and Principal Attorney of Dunham Law & Policy, a boutique law firm focused on green chemistry and clean energy. Prior to starting Dunham Law & Policy, Mr. Dunham spent five years with several AmLaw100 law firms. He also worked as a senior advisor to the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), including roles as Chief Counsel and Legislative Director. He directed the activities of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health under Lautenberg and negotiated the first bipartisan bill to reform the Toxic Substance Control Act.

Mr. Dunham was legislative counsel at a nonprofit environmental law firm and a climate change staff attorney at another nonprofit group before working on Capitol Hill.

He has been quoted by the New York Times, Washington Post, the Associated Press, the New Yorker, and has appeared on the CBS Evening News and national radio programs.

Mr. Dunham is an active member of the Washington, DC bar.

PRESENTER

KRISTIN SCHREIBER

Director at the European Commission, DG Grow, Chemicals, Health, Retail and Agrifood

LinkedIn

Prior to her current Director position, she served as Director for Governance of the Single Market and International Affairs in DG MARKT (until 2015) and Director for SME policy in DG GROW (until March 2021).

Kristin Schreiber was Head of Cabinet of Employment Commissioner Vladimir Špidla, Deputy Head of Cabinet of Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier and member of the Cabinets of Enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen and Competition Commissioner Karel Van Miert. She also served as Head of Unit for International Affairs in DG Employment and Social Affairs and was a member of the Merger Task Force of DG Competition.
 

PRESENTER

SASKIA VAN BERGEN

Safer Chemist Lead at Washington State Department of Ecology

LinkedIn

Saskia van Bergen is the Safer Chemist Lead at the Washington State Department of Ecology. Her focus is to strategically build a strong and vibrant safer chemistry program in the state. In this capacity, she works with regional and national partners to develop, support and sustain green chemistry, safer alternative efforts and toxic chemical reduction efforts. Previously, Saskia worked as an analytical chemist at several organizations including East Bay Municipal Utility District, Madis Botanicals and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. She holds a B.A. in Chemistry from Vassar College, a M.S in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry from the University of California, Davis and a certificate in green chemistry from UC Berkeley Extension. She is currently serving as the Chair of the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse executive committee.

MODERATOR

SALLY EDWARDS

Director, Retailer Leadership Council at Change Chemistry

LinkedIn

Dr. Sally Edwards has many years of experience in engaging a wide range of stakeholders to promote the environmental health of communities and develop safer and greener products. She is a senior research associate at the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at the UMass Lowell. She is a co-founder of the Chemical Footprint Project, which is designed to recognize corporate leadership in the use of safer chemicals. Sally facilitates the work of the Change Chemistry’s Retailer Leadership Council, whose mission is to promote safer chemicals, materials and products across retail supply chains. Sally holds a MS in Environmental Health Science from Harvard University and a BA in Human Biology from Stanford University. She completed her doctorate in Work Environment at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Her book, Beyond Child’s Play: Sustainable Product Design in the Global Doll-Making Industry, was published in 2009.

PRESENTER

SASCHA BLOEMHOFF

Marketing Director Niaga® at Covestro

LinkedIn

Sascha is an experienced non-linear transition leader with a background in climate change, renewable energy, circular economy and data science in both business, government and higher education. She passionately works on systemic change and applies a landscape and network approach. Her specialty is covering unknown territory and bringing people and organizations together to find innovative solutions for societal challenges.

As Marketing Director at Niaga®, she leads the development and implementation of a circular infrastructure that enables material transparency through product passports, product return for material reuse and a discernible brand and scannable tag to distinguish circular products from the pack and really get them back for product-to-product reuse at the end of each use-cycle.

PRESENTER 

WIBKE LÖLSBERG

Corporate Sustainability Strategy at BASF 

LinkedIn

Dr. Wibke Lölsberg studied chemistry at the Universities of Cologne (DE) and Bristol (UK). She conducted her PhD in Organic Chemistry from the Universities of Cologne (DE) and Harvard (US) in 2012. She joined BASF as a laboratory manager in the field of aerogel research. Thereafter, headed the global marketing and business development for SLENTEX within the Performance Materials Division. Currently, she is leading projects around Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) and Portfolio Sustainability Assessment (PSA) within BASF's Corporate unit. 

PRESENTER

AUDE BECHU

Post Doctoral Research Associate at Sustainable Chemistry Catalyst 

LinkedIn

Dr. Aude Bechu is a safe and sustainable chemistry post doc at the Sustainable Chemistry Catalyst. A sister organization to Change Chemistry, the Catalyst works on research and strategy to accelerate the transition to safer, more sustainable chemistry. Aude has translated sustainable chemistry for regulators, investors and businesses in her role at the Catalyst. She has also examined the field of alternatives assessment and how the method can be adapted to account for innovative materials. Aude holds a Ph.D in Green Chemistry from McGill University and was awarded a Fullbright Fellowship to support a sustainability assessment of biobased and biodegradable plastics.

MODERATOR:

RUI RESENDES

Director of Development at Change Chemistry

LinkedIn

Dr. Rui Resendes is a technology commercialization professional with expertise in business development, technology marketing and licensing, IP management and start-up company creation and financing. Through his various roles within multinational corporations, start-up companies and technology incubators, Dr. Resendes has advanced technology commercialization, through multi-stakeholder partnerships, across several technology sectors.

PRESENTER

ANN LEE- JEFFS

Senior Director, Corporate Sustainability at Modern Meadow

LinkedIn

Ann Lee-Jeffs is Senior Director of Corporate Sustainability at Modern Meadow, a purpose-driven biotechnology company positioned at the intersection of material science and biology with a mission to be a catalyst for real-world impact on people and the planet. She works across the business units to drive implementation of sustainability strategy and goals to promote and advance nature-inspired and circularity-driven Modern Meadow technology platforms, Bio-Alloy™ and Bio-F@arm™. Since joining April 2022, she led the organization to develop and implement sustainability strategy and delivered on priorities including establishing Impact Advisory Board (IAB), publishing their inaugural sustainability report and completing well-received first sustainability summit. Sustainability is why Modern Meadow exist and Ann is collaborating with leaders in and out of the organization to translate sustainability-driven innovations to enablers for change for good for the world. She is a member of the sustainability advisory board of her alma meter, Manhattan College. She also is a member of the Impact Advisory Board member of Fashion Takes Action (FTA). As a coordinator for the MIT Professional Education Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) Certificate Program, she provides support to a cohort of 45 participants with their impact projects.

Ann has spent the past 20+ years transforming multinational companies including Teva, Johnson & Johnson, Honeywell, Pfizer, Merck, and Colgate Palmolive, into best-in-class sustainability leaders. For example, as the head of Environment and Sustainability at Teva, Ann co-led the process that designed and installed a set of ambitious 2030 sustainability/ESG goals that enabled the company to issue $5B sustainability linked bonds to accelerate the advancement of sustainability objectives across the company's value chain.

PRESENTER

CAROLINE BODEN

Director of Shareholder Advocacy

LinkedIn

Caroline Boden Is a Director of Shareholder Advocacy with Mercy Investment Services, Covering Portfolio Issues Such As Nutrition, the Reduction of Food and Plastic Waste, Human Trafficking, and Safer Chemical Management. Prior to Joining Mercy Investment Services in 2016, Caroline Was a Research Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.c. Her Responsibilities Included Researching and Producing Reports and Policy Memos on the Geopolitics of the Arctic, As Well As Security and Defense Issues in Northern Europe. She Also Served As a Political Intern with the U.s. Department of State Where She Worked on U.s.-European Union Political and Economic Relations. Caroline holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French and International Studies from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master of Science in European Politics from the University of Glasgow.

PRESENTER

LAURA HOCH

Senior Material Innovation Engineer at Patagonia, Inc.

 Dr. Laura Hoch is a Senior Material Innovation Engineer at Patagonia Inc., where she is responsible for the research, identification, and development of novel and sustainable chemistry and textile technologies for use in Patagonia’s product lines. Prior to Patagonia, Laura worked as a Technical Fellow for the Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3), focusing on establishing and growing the GC3 Green & Bio-based Chemistry Startup Network and providing technical expertise and support to GC3 project groups. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Toronto and has over 15 years of experience in applied materials chemistry research and design.

PRESENTER

JOHN MAY

Managing Director at Hamilton Clark Sustainable Capital, Inc.

LinkedIn

John is a career investment banker who specializes in all forms of debt (taxable, tax-exempt, government guaranteed) and project finance. He is a seasoned project finance investment banker who has financed a significant number of projects and companies in his 25-year banking career. He is credited with having pioneered the use of bonds as a form of project finance debt in the renewables market. In the past 10 years, he has become one of the top renewable energy bankers in the country, having developed a national practice in renewable energy finance focusing on biofuels, biomass, biochemical and bioproducts.

PRESENTER

JOEL TICKNER

Executive Director at Change Chemistry

LinkedIn

Dr. Joel Tickner is a Professor of Public Health at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He is founder and Executive Director of Change Chemistry (formerly GC3); Executive Director of the Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment (A4), a professional association. He is a leading expert on application of green chemistry and alternatives assessment in science and policy. He has served on a number of EPA and National Academy of Sciences advisory committees and advises government agencies around the world. He holds a Masters of Science degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana and a Doctor of Science Degree from the Department of Work Environment at University of Massachusetts Lowell.