Speakers

October 28, 2024

Keynote Address

PRESENTER

JOHN WARNER

President and CEO at Technology Greenhouse, LLC

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.

October 29, 2024

Welcome Remarks

PRESENTER

JOEL TICKNER

Executive Director at Change Chemistry

Dr. Joel Tickner is a Professor of Public Health at the UMass Lowell. He is founder and Executive Director of Change Chemistry (formerly Green Chemistry & Commerce Council); 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 UMass Lowell.

Welcome Remarks

PRESENTER

JAYCEE PRIBULSKY

Chief Sustainability Officer at NIKE, Inc.

Jaycee Pribulsky is Nike’s Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO). As CSO, Jaycee leads Global Sustainability, a team committed to protecting the planet and the future of sport so all athletes can train, live and thrive for generations to come. Prior to becoming CSO, Jaycee was Nike’s Vice President of Global Footwear Sourcing and Manufacturing where she led the team responsible for working with a global network of industry-leading footwear manufacturers to deliver +600M pairs per year through a network of 40+ industry-leading factories achieving KPIs across quality, delivery, cost and sustainability. Jaycee has also Nike’s Sustainable Manufacturing and Sourcing team where she was responsible for developing and executing Nike's sustainability strategy across more than 500 contract manufacturing factories employing nearly 1 million workers across 40 countries.

Jaycee has over 20 years of experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors where she created, launched and managed innovative programs in domestic and international markets.  Prior to joining Nike, Jaycee worked at Bloomberg LP on the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. She also led the New York practice of Context, a consultancy advising Fortune 100s on sustainability, engagement, transparency and disclosure.  Further, she worked at both United Technologies Corporation and at Citi, managing global corporate sustainability programs. 

Jaycee began her career in the Clinton administration at the Agency for International Development and in the White House. She holds a bachelor's degree in French and Public Communication from American University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Keynote Address

PRESENTER

BILL WALSH

Fund Director at Safer chemistry IMPACT FUND

Bill Walsh has a distinguished career pioneering innovative nonprofit initiatives to reduce the impact of toxic chemicals on human health and the environment and accelerate the adoption of safer chemistry. He is the founding Director of the Safer Chemistry Impact Fund, an innovative blended capital fund for non-profits who are advancing science-based, data-driven solutions to systematically eliminate hazardous chemicals and replace them with verified safer alternatives. Previously, he served as Executive Director of the Passport Foundation, where he oversaw approximately $3.5m in annual grant-making in the field of environmental health and chemical hazard reduction. From 2000-2022 he served in leadership roles with Habitable, which he founded as the Healthy Building Network (HBN) in 2000. Bill and HBN received numerous awards and recognitions for efforts reduce human exposures to chemicals in building materials and create market incentives for healthier innovations in manufacturing.  There he oversaw the development of the Pharos Chemical Hazard Database, and the of the Health Product Declaration.  Bill has been a visiting professor at the Parsons School of Design, serves on the Science Advisory Board of the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation, and is a Fellow of the Lowell Institute for Sustainable Production. He holds a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and LLM in Public Interest Advocacy from Georgetown University.

Session 1: Value chain barriers and opportunities in the transition to safer and more sustainable chemicals and products

MODERATOR

STACY GLASS

Co-Founder and Executive Director at ChemFORWARD

Stacy Glass is co-founder and executive director of ChemFORWARD where she is responsible for executing on the strategic plan for growth, impact and scale. Stacy develops key partnerships, collaborations and stakeholder engagement that support the mission of ChemFORWARD to create broad access to chemical hazard data and illuminate safer alternatives in partnership with industry. Through this work, she pursues her vision to end toxic chemical exposure and advance human and environmental equity. To lead this innovative project, she draws from 30 years of experience encompassing management consulting, high growth start-ups, public-private partnerships, and an MBA from Duke University.

PRESENTER

ROBERTO BERTIN

Global Senior Manager, Strategic Initiatives – Sustainability at Walmart

As Walmart Inc.’s Global Senior Manager of Strategic Initiatives for Sustainability, Roberto Bertin is responsible for leading Walmart’s environmental and social programs for the company’s Consumables and Hardlines’ business units. With a focus on advancing solutions that help drive Walmart’s commitment to becoming a regenerative company, Roberto is responsible for driving the retailer’s sustainability priorities across its four pillars: climate, nature, waste, and people in our supply chain. In close collaboration with the merchandising team, suppliers, NGOs, and industry organizations, he leads multiyear strategies to advance product solutions, packaging innovations and other big bets across these issues. He leads Walmart’s Sustainable Chemistry program and co-lead the Built for Better shop designed to provide customers with easy access to affordable products designed and/or sourced more sustainably that meet trusted standards for personal well-being and the environment. Roberto joined Walmart 20 years ago, starting out at Walmart Mexico and holding multiple roles across finance, operations, the Walmart Mexico Foundation, International corporate affairs, compliance, responsible sourcing, and sustainability. He holds a master’s degree in social responsibility and a certification in sustainability.

PRESENTER

CHAD ASMUS

Sustainable Ag Product Strategist at BASF

Chad Asmus graduated from Kansas State University with a B.S. in Agronomy in May 1996.  He spent thirteen years as a crop consultant in southwest Kansas with Servi-Tech, Inc., where he advised farmers on how to manage their irrigated and dryland crops.   In 2009, Chad earned an M.S. in Agronomy from KSU where his thesis focused on the tillage effects on soil carbon sequestration.  During that same time, he also joined BASF and since then he has held various roles within Technical Services and Marketing.  He currently is a Sustainable Ag Product Strategist for BASF Agricultural Solutions in North America where he helps to lead the organization in developing solutions that bring value not only to farmers who seek to expand their sustainable farming practices, but also to industries that can actualize the decarbonization benefits associated with sustainable farming.  Chad is also a Certified Professional Agronomist (CPAg) and currently resides in Wake Forest, NC, with his wife and three sons.

PRESENTER

YURIY GALABURA

Sustainable Materials Lead at Kenvue

Yuriy Galabura is an expert in sustainable materials with 10 years of experience in research, development, and commercialization across the Consumer Goods and Chemical industries. As the Sustainable Materials Lead for Kenvue’s Product Resiliency & Sustainability team, Yuriy plays a pivotal role in leading and supporting various aspects of the company’s sustainability strategy. He collaborates with both internal and external stakeholders to integrate sustainability practices into the global R&D program, with a focus on reducing scope 3 emissions across value chains.

Yuriy’s expertise spans Polymer/Materials Science, Green Chemistry, New Product Development, Project Management, and Supply Chain Management. His accomplishments include leading the development and commercialization of biobased emulsifiers, film formers for the global Personal Care market, and driving innovation in sustainable materials for Baby & Child Care at Kimberly-Clark Corporation. His consulting work at Ernst and Young and leadership roles at Momentive Performance Materials and Novomer Inc further demonstrate his influence in sustainable operations and materials science.

He holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Clemson University and a Doctor of Pharmacy from Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Ukraine.

PRESENTER

LAURA HOCH

Senior Material Innovation Engineer at Patagonia Inc.

Dr. Laura Hoch is currently a Sr. 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 Inorganic Materials Chemistry from the University of Toronto and has over 15 years of experience in applied materials chemistry research and design.

Session 2: Defossilization & detoxification: necessary partners

MODERATOR

JENNY MACKELLAR

Program Director at Change Chemistry

Jenny 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 engagement. Jenny is also lead on all Change Chemistry events, including the annual Innovators Roundtables and European Forums. Before joining the 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.

PRESENTER

MARTHA DINA ARGUELLO

Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles

For the past 35 years, Martha has served in the non-profit sector as an advocate, community organizer, and coalition builder. She joined PSR-LA in 1998 to launch the environmental health programs and became Executive Director in November 2007. 

Martha grew up in the Pico-Union area of Los Angeles. At the young age of 14, she made a lifelong commitment to effect social change after seeing her friend killed by a school security guard. While working as a health educator in the 1990s, Martha had an epiphany — she realized that although early detection can prevent death from breast cancer, it does not prevent breast cancer, which has been increasingly linked to exposure to environmental toxicants. Since that realization, Martha has dedicated her career to the environmental justice movement and has lectured nationwide on the use of precautionary principle policies.

As a coalition builder, Martha has emphasized the need for local grassroots advocacy working in partnership with statewide policy actions. She is an active board member of numerous organizations, including Californians for Pesticide Reform, the Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy, and serves on the California Air Resources Board’s Global Warming Environmental Justice Advisory Committee. 

PRESENTER

PATRICK FOLEY

President & Co-Founder at P2 Science

 Patrick earned his PhD from Yale in 2011 after working in the Center for Green Chemistry & Green Engineering with Professors Paul Anastas and Julie Zimmerman.  During that time Patrick co-founded P2 Science, where serves Chief Science Officer & President. At P2, Patrick has invented, patented, and commercialized multiple platform technologies in the field of renewable and sustainable chemistry with >65 granted patents to date. This work has resulted in the successful installation of a full-scale manufacturing facility in Naugatuck, CT that has demonstrated 2 first-of-kind reactor technologies and lead to multiple successful product launches for consumer ingredients that are in products around the world. Before Yale, Patrick worked at Pfizer in Discovery Chemistry and he currently lives with his family in New Haven, CT.

PRESENTER

RENEE HACKENMILLER-PARADIS

Senior Director of Chemicals Management at lululemon

Renee Hackenmiller-Paradis is the Senior Director of Chemicals Management at lululemon, a leading American-Canadian multinational premium athletic apparel retailer headquartered in British Columbia. In this role, Renee drives sustainable chemistry initiatives across lululemon and collaborates with external brand partners to implement strategies that minimize the environmental and health impacts of chemicals used in manufacturing processes. 

Renee brings a diverse background spanning industry, government, NGOs, and academia to her role at Lululemon. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Washington, a Master of Public Health in Health Management and Policy from Portland State University, and a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Chicago. This multidisciplinary expertise informs her leadership in advancing sustainable and responsible chemical management practices within the apparel and footwear industry. 

PRESENTER

RICHARD WIELECHOWSKI

Senior Investment Analyst at Planet Tracker

Richard is a Senior Investment Analyst at Planet Tracker. He has significant experience of analysing and modelling different industries and communicating the results to professional investors. Before joining Planet Tracker, Richard spent 10 years at sell-side equity firm Bernstein Research, covering sectors including Retail, Media and Medical Devices. Richard holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Cambridge and has completed all three levels of the CFA examinations.

Session 3: Creating supportive incentives and funding for innovation, scale and adoption of sustainable chemicals

MODERATOR

JOEL TICKNER

Executive Director at Change Chemistry

Dr. Joel Tickner is a Professor of Public Health at the UMass Lowell. He is founder and Executive Director of Change Chemistry (formerly Green Chemistry & Commerce Council); 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 UMass Lowell.

PRESENTER

AMIT PAUL

Managing Director at Paxymer AB

Amit Paul is the CEO and co-founder of Paxymer AB since 2010. The company is a pioneer within halogen free flame retardants and have a patented, unique synergist based on functional polymers. Paxymer AB has been educating customers, working in substitution projects and been involved in the task of elimination of brominated flame retardants globally. Amit was the former pop star that got a business degree, worked as a management consultant at Bain and then dedicated his professional life to greening flame retardant products. Paxymer AB has been invited to several prestigious conferences to present its work in this space e.g. AMI, COP-5, Toxins2015, Forum för giftfri miljö, ANTECH. The company has also received attention as one of the top 10 most important technologies for a green future. Paxymer has been a member of Change Chemistry since the founding of the start up network since 2016.

PRESENTER

MARTIN MULVIHILL

Co-founder and Managing Partner at Safer Made

Dr. Marty Mulvihill is the co-founder and a managing partner in Safer Made, a mission-driven venture capital fund investing company and technologies that reduce human exposure to harmful chemicals. Safer Made invests in teams that bring safer products and technologies to market, tell a unique story, have the potential to change their sectors, and protect our health and natural world. Marty’s experience as a chemist showed him that safer product solutions already exist and need attention and capital to get to market.

Marty is also an advisor at the Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry, which he helped create and where he served as the initial Executive Director from 2010-2015. Marty has helped develop technologies that help provide access to clean drinking water and the creation of safer chemicals and materials based on biological feedstocks. He has developed safer chemicals and materials for the personal care, construction, electronics, and textile industries. Marty Mulvihill received his Ph.D. in 2009 from the University of California, Berkeley in Chemistry.

PRESENTER

JAY FITZGERALD

Chief Scientist and Program Manager, Conversion Technologies at the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

Jay Fitzgerald is the Chief Scientist and Program Manager, Conversion Technologies for the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as well as the Program Manager for the BETO Data, Modeling, and Analysis subprogram.

As BETO's Chief Scientist, Jay helps guide scientific program direction for the conversion of biomass and waste resources into low-carbon fuels, chemicals, and materials. He specifically focuses on sustainable aviation fuel, engineering biology, performance-advantaged bioproducts, life-cycle assessment, and plastic redesign and recycling.

Jay was previously a Technology Manager for the Conversion subprogram in BETO where he led formation of the Agile BioFoundry and BOTTLE consortia. Jay was also an American Association for the Advancement of Science, Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the DOE Office of Science Office of Biological & Environmental Research.

Jay holds a B.A. in biochemistry and a minor in economics from Middlebury College. He completed his Ph.D. in organic chemistry at Stanford University with Professor Chaitan Khosla, focusing on the biosynthesis of medicinally useful polyketides.

PRESENTER

ELLIE WOOD

Chief of Staff at LanzaTech

Ellie is the Chief of Staff to the CEO of LanzaTech. Prior to joining LanzaTech, she spent nearly 10 years working for the Boeing Company in strategic and sustainability-focused roles, most recently serving as Chief of Staff to Boeing’s first Chief Sustainability Officer. Previously, Ellie served as Chief of Staff to the President of Boeing Europe and was the Regional Director, International Strategy and Business Development for Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Europe. Ellie spent many years as a Regional Director of Environmental Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, where she was responsible for developing and executing sustainable aviation fuel strategy and engagements in North America and Asia Pacific.

Ellie received a M.A. in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, and a B.A. in International Political Economy from Colorado College. She resides in her hometown of Seattle, WA with her husband and perfect Siberian Husky.

PRESENTER

AVERY SCHULZ

Vice President of Strategy at Solugen

Avery oversees Solugen’s strategic planning, business operations, financing, and investor relations. Prior to joining Solugen, Avery spent several years at Bain & Co., focusing on consulting and commercial due diligence for private equity within the energy and industrial sector. Avery holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a BBA from The University of Texas at Austin. She lives in Houston with her husband and one-year old daughter.

Session 4: Building and empowering champions to institutionalize sustainable chemistry in organizations

MODERATOR

JENNY MACKELLAR

Program Director at Change Chemistry

Jenny 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 engagement. Jenny is also lead on all Change Chemistry events, including the annual Innovators Roundtables and European Forums. Before joining the 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.

PRESENTER

IAN NASH

Senior Manager, Responsible Chemistry at Henkel

Ian Nash has been with Henkel since 2017 and currently serves as Senior Manager, Responsible Chemistry where he is responsible for coordinating phaseouts of chemicals from Henkel’s Adhesive Technologies portfolio to move toward more sustainable solutions. Prior to this role, Ian has spent over ten years in public policy and advocacy roles within the chemicals and adhesives industries in the United States and in Europe and has served in many industry trade associations and policy organizations. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and MBA from Georgetown University. Ian resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife and son.

PRESENTER

JOHN FRAZIER

Senior Technical Director at Hohenstein Institute America, Inc.

John Frazier serves as the Senior Technical Director for Hohenstein Institute America. In this role, he works with brands, manufacturers and chemical companies to develop tools and programs that enable more sustainable manufacturing of apparel and footwear. John is also active in Green Chemistry efforts, previously serving on advisory boards for ACS-GCI, GC3 and NGC.

Prior to joining Hohenstein in 2016, John served as the GM and Senior Director of Chemistry for Nike. In this role he worked on safer and greener chemistry, water stewardship, product innovation, and establishing and promoting cross-brand collaborations, including AFIRM and ZDHC.

John holds a MS in Chemistry from San Diego State University and a BS in chemistry from Northern Arizona University.

PRESENTER

JILLIAN STACY

Business Manager for Sustainable Chemistry at Enhesa

Jillian Stacy has been with the Enhesa team since 2014, and now leads Enhesa’s Sustainable Chemistry business unit. Enhesa Sustainable Chemistry focuses on helping companies make safer, more sustainable chemical choices for their products and processes. As Sustainable Chemistry’s Business Manager, Jill is responsible for leading Enhesa’s post-acquisition integration of SciveraLENS and ToxPlanet in order to grow these offerings. A strategically focused, commercially-driven team builder, Jill has a strong legal background in EHS and ESG services in a wide range of sectors including chemical manufacturing, technology, pharma, and retail, among others.

Jill graduated with a JD and MELP from Vermont Law School. Jill’s dual background has been of great value to Enhesa, where she started as an EHS Regulatory Consultant. In her last role as Head of Global Expert Services, Jill managed Enhesa OPS team of implementation experts. The team worked with Enhesa clients to ensure they were getting the most out of their Enhesa partnership, focusing on effective and efficient use of the Enhesa content and tools.

Now, with her work in Sustainable Chemistry, Jill is leveraging her leadership skills and environmental background to merge the SciveraLENS and ToxPlanet teams under the Sustainable Chemistry business unit and offer companies well-rounded solutions for their chemicals management.

PRESENTER

AMY CANNON

Executive Director and Co-Founder at Beyond Benign

Amy 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

DAVID LAVISKA

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

Prior to joining the ACSGCI, David A. Laviska was Assistant Professor at Seton Hall University where he was 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 awarded “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 developed and piloted green(er) experimental protocols for use in undergraduate teaching labs. Prior to his second career in academia, David worked for more than a decade as an Environmental/Analytical Specialist with the EPA (Region II) and earned all his degrees in chemistry: Ph.D. (Rutgers University), M.S. (University of Washington), and B.A. (Cornell University).

October 30, 2024

Keynote Address

PRESENTER

CHRIS MUSSO

Senior Partner and Office Managing Partner, Rocky Mountain Region at McKinsey & Company

Chris Musso leads McKinsey’s Denver office and our firm's global chemicals practice. With more than 15 years of experience in the chemicals industry, Chris specializes in plastics applications and economics. His expertise spans the entire plastics value chain, including feedstock strategy, application development, and end market usage. Chris brings extensive experience in growth strategy and M&A, critical to his leadership of teams in all facets of deals. He has built private equity portfolio companies from purchase through successful exit, led more than 20 due diligences in the plastics sector, and acted as the point partner on one of the largest and most complex chemical deals in history. Before his current role at McKinsey, Chris spent three years at Polaris, where he was President of the off-road vehicles division, overseeing $4 billion in revenue, managing nearly 7,000 employees, and achieving over 10% annual growth. He also held the position of Senior Vice President of Global Electrification at Polaris. Chris holds a PhD in Engineering Systems, an MBA, and SM degrees in Materials Engineering and Technology Policy from MIT, as well as a BS in Manufacturing Engineering Technology from BYU.

Session 5: Driving innovation in sustainable plastics: opportunities and challenges across the life cycle

MODERATOR

ASLI TAMER VESTLUND

European Program Lead at Change Chemistry

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

ROB ELLIS-HUTCHINGS

Toxicologist at Dow

Dr. Robert Ellis-Hutchings is a Senior Toxicology Scientist at Dow in their department of Toxicology & Environmental Research and Consulting.  In his role he provides leadership and guidance on the health, safety, and sustainability of new and existing Dow products.  Over the years he has supported a variety of Dow product areas but most recently the Dow Consumer Solutions business, which includes Performance Silicones and Home and Personal Care products, and the Plastics business.  He leads active efforts within Dow and the industry to understand and address scientific gaps relating to the potential risk of plastic microparticle hazards to humans.  He is involved with several multi-stakeholder microplastic committees including PlasticsEurope’s microplastic science team, which he chairs, and microplastic task forces within the American Chemistry Council (ACC), the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), and the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA).  He has also been a member of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe’s dietary microplastic initiative.

PRESENTER

TODD CLINE

Senior Director, Sustainable Innovation, Global Research & Development at Procter & Gamble

Todd Cline currently serves as Senior Director, Sustainable Innovation - Global Research & Development at Procter & Gamble. In this role, he works to integrate materials and processes into P&G innovation plans which deliver sustainability benefits and to bring P&G-patented technologies to industry scale. He is enthusiastic about creating superior performing products which are both sustainable and beneficial to everyday life. Over the past decade Todd provided leadership across multiple product innovation launches in both the US and Europe. His most recent focus has been on P&G’s largest business, Fabric Care, where he led product and package sustainability efforts and Tide's focus on cold water washing, including product innovation, consumer education, and key partnerships including World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and appliance manufacturers to accelerate habit change progress. Prior to joining the North America Fabric Care business Todd led innovation programs for several P&G brands such as Swiffer, Mr Clean, and P&G Professional. Todd holds a MBA from Xavier University and earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky.

PRESENTER

RAMANI NARAYAN

Distinguished Professor at the Michigan State University

Dr. Ramani Narayan is University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University in the Department of chemical engineering & materials science. Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and Fellow of ASTM International. He has 300+ refereed publications in leading journals, and 32 issued patents. He has graduated 25 Ph.D. and 25 master’s students at MSU. His R&D program resulted in commercializing four biobased, biodegradable-compostable polymer materials technologies (PLA, advanced PLA hybrids, starch foams & engineered biopolymers). He is active in compost bioreactor process development for managing biodegradable organic waste like food, paper, & compostable packaging products.

Founding Chair of the committee on Environmentally Degradable Plastics and Biobased Products (D20.96). Developed biodegradable-compostable plastics specification standards D6400, and D6868, and radiocarbon analysis for biobased carbon content, D6866. These are used world-wide by regulators, industry, and academic researchers.

Serve as USA technical expert to ISO (International Standards Organization) TC 61 on Plastics, and specifically on SC 14 subcommittee on "Environmental Aspects", including convener of WG 3 on BioBased Plastics. Convener of working group that developed ISO18606 on "Packaging and the Environment -- Organics Recycling".

Represent ISO TC 61 on the ISO/TMB/TF 07 on Climate Change Coordination Group.

U.S. National Academy of Science, Engineering, & Medicine (NASEM) invited committee member reporting on U.S. contributions to global ocean plastic wastes. Expert on LCA studies and serves on “Critical Review Panels”. 

PRESENTER

HOMER SWEI

Senior Vice President, Healthy Living Science at Environmental Working Group

With over 30 years of research and development expertise after having managed
groups for leading companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Dow Chemical. Dr. Homer Swei is currently the Senior Vice President of the Healthy Living Science Team at EWG, where he leads research and market change work on everyday items like personal care products, food, and cleaning products. He also spearheads the EWG Verified Program, which sets rigorous, science-backed standards with a goal of moving the market to answer consumer demands for safer choices for beauty, personal care, cleaning and baby products. Homer earned his bachelors and PhD degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of California @ Berkeley and Northwestern University, respectively. Homer is a scientist, artist, and consumer advocate.

Session 6: AI as an enabler of safer and more sustainable chemicals and products

MODERATOR

RUI RESENDES

Director of Partnerships & Business Development at Change Chemistry

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

ANANTHA DESIKAN

Executive Vice President, Chief Innovation Officer and Technology Officer at ICL Group
Dr. Anantha Desikan has been serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Research, Development & Innovation Officer of ICL since 2018. Prior thereto, Dr. Desikan served as Senior Vice President of ICL Industrial Products’ Flame Retardants business, as well as several other management and technology management positions at ICL including President, ICL-IP America, and VP of Global Phosphorous R&D. Prior to joining ICL in 2007, Dr. Desikan held technology management roles at Supresta and Akzo Nobel. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York, and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Madras University, India.

PRESENTER

ETHAN MIRSKY

Chief Product and Strategy Officer at NobleAI

Ethan Mirsky is a lifelong entrepreneur, engineer and scientist focused on building solutions to complex problems. As NobleAI’s Chief Product and Strategy Officer, he works closely with leading companies in the chemicals and materials space to help them accelerate product development projects using Science-Based AI. Prior to joining NobleAI, he co-founded and built two successful companies - Silicon Spice, a provider of high-performance chipsets for carrier-class voice-over-IP (acquired by Broadcom in 2000) and Bolt Threads, a creator of sustainable bio-based materials. He has an ME in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a PhD in Biophysics from the University of California, San Francisco. 

PRESENTER

RENATA ALVES

Digital Innovation Manager at BASF

I am a customer-centric and innovation-driven manager with over 10 years of experience in leading transformation projects at BASF. I have created and executed digital business models that improve customer satisfaction and create value across BASF in Germany, North and South America, collaborating with the business and through intrapreneurship programs. I have background in law, marketing, sustainability, and digitalization. I am passionate about finding creative solutions to business challenges and fostering a culture of collaboration.

PRESENTER

ROBERT LORD

Partner/Patent Attorney at Lathrop GPM, LLP

With almost 30 years of patent prosecution experience under his belt, Robert relies on a wealth of sound legal and business-savvy approaches to solving client’s IP issues. Robert’s practice focuses on patent prosecution, portfolio management, due diligence, client counseling, licensing, and patent litigation in the fields of software engineering, fintech, business methods, and computer engineering. 

From a technology standpoint, Robert has experience handling IP matters requiring technical competence ranging from front-end graphical user interfaces to artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning models (MLMs), and massively parallel processing (MPP) cycle-based systems for circuit design. As a software developer prior to practicing law, he worked on programming projects for the IRS, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Apple Computer and others. 

Robert has a robust prosecution practice within the high technology/mechanical group and manages over 2,500 active IP matters (patent, trademark, and copyright) for numerous medium-to-large companies, while still being intimately involved in daily patent prosecution matters. Mr. Lord is frequently requested to lecture at seminars and hold presentations regarding various IP subject of high interest to the IP community and hi-tech leaders around the world.

Session 7: Scaling sustainable solvents

MODERATOR

RUI RESENDES

Director of Partnerships & Business Development at Change Chemistry

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

LIZ HARRIMAN

Senior Researcher at UMass Lowell

Ms. Harriman is currently with the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at UMass Lowell, and recently retired as Deputy Director of UMass Lowell’s Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI), managing the operations and technical functions of the Institute. She has more than 30 years of experience assisting companies and communities in identifying and adopting safer alternatives to toxic chemicals used in manufacturing and products.

Technical focus has included wire and cable, metal finishing and electronics sectors; alternatives assessment methodologies; and various chemicals, including PFAS, flame retardants, solvents and plastics additives.  Ms. Harriman is a registered Professional Engineer and holds degrees from Cornell University and Tufts University.

PRESENTER

CHRIS AIELLO

Principal Environmental Scientist at WD-40 Company

Chris Aiello, Principal Environmental Scientist, is responsible for the research and development of chemical substances and packages that will reduce environmental impacts within our product designs. Additionally, Chris facilitates scientific knowledge as it relates to environmental topics across the global business. In his prior role at WD-40 Company, Chris supported new product development in the Americas trading bloc.

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 

Closing Remarks

PRESENTER

JOEL TICKNER

Executive Director at Change Chemistry

Dr. Joel Tickner is a Professor of Public Health at the UMass Lowell. He is founder and Executive Director of Change Chemistry (formerly Green Chemistry & Commerce Council); 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 UMass Lowell.