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.
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
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
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
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
MARTY MULVIHILL
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
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
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.
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.
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.
PANELIST
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
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.
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
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
Jeffrey Whitford once bought snake venom from a man in Louisiana. That’s just one of many experiences in which his innate curiosity has sparked ideas that translated into meaningful impacts over the past 15+ years at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada, a €10.5 billion global science and technology company committed to enhancing the human experience through curiosity and sustainability.
As Vice President of Sustainability & Social Business Innovation, he serves as a strategic partner to the Life Science Business to accelerate, embed, and amplify sustainability principles and impact across its business operations to drive new business models, margin expansion and cost savings. This is all with one goal in mind: reducing the business’ impact on the environment and enabling customers to make more sustainable choices.
By applying design thinking to sustainability, Whitford starts with sustainability at the outset of product ideation and carries it through the entire product lifecycle. Industry-disrupting firsts launched under his leadership include the award-winning DOZN™ tool for quantifying the ‘greenness’ of a chemical product, a unique Biopharma Recycling Program for single-use and disposable plastics, and a new line of award-winning bio-based alternative solvents (Cyrene™).
STEM education is one of Whitford’s passions, and he’s championed a partnership with Beyond Benign to expand access to green chemistry in higher education and fuel the adoption of sustainable science in R&D. He also oversees the company’s largest corporate responsibility initiative, the SPARK™ volunteer program, in which employees around the world participate in charitable events designed to benefit their local communities.
Whitford’s remit also includes improving the sustainability of Life Science’s 60-plus manufacturing sites around the world; community relations and corporate philanthropy; and employee volunteerism and engagement. Notable achievements in these areas include a 12-year, off-site virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) which covers 100% of its U.S. electricity consumption; award-winning volunteer programs to inspire more girls and BIPOC students to pursue a career in science through a mix of virtual, in-classroom, and mobile lab experiences; and a partnership with CNote to improve economic access and opportunity for women- and BIPOC-owned startups in communities where Life Science operates.
Ragan & PR Daily’s 2022 CSR/ESG Professional of the Year, Whitford was included in Fast Company’s 2020 list of the Most Creative People in Business; selected as PRNEWS CSR & Nonprofit Awards’ CSR Professional of the Year in 2020; and named to Assent Compliance’s Top 100 Corporate Social Responsibility Influence Leaders in 2019.
Whitford earned his bachelor’s in journalism and strategic communications from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and his master’s in business administration at Washington University in St. Louis. He is a board member of MyGreenLab and has previously served on the board of the International Institute in St. Louis and the St. Louis chapter of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
PRESENTER
ART FONG
Environmental Technologies Smarter Chemistry Technical Leader at Apple
Dr. Fong (or Art Fong) is the Technical Leader for smarter chemistry on the Environmental Technologies Team at Apple, driving chemistry innovation and rigorous controls to design products to be safe for anyone who assembles, uses, or recycles them — and to be better for the environment. Art also manages the Apple Green Chemistry Advisory Board, an independent group of leading researchers and academics focused on integrating green chemistry into Apple’s products and supply chain, and he established the biocompatibility program for electronics products at Apple. Art is a member of the Design Team of Clean Electronics Production Network, Science Advisory Committee of GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals, LEGO® Advisory Board for Chemistry in Sustainable Materials, ChemSec Business Group, and Executive Council of the Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment. He also serves as an Advisor for ChemFORWARD, and is on the Advisory Board of the Safer Chemistry Impact Fund. Art was recently appointed to serve on the US EPA TSCA Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC).
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.