Speaker Bios

September 9, 2025

Keynote Address 

PRESENTER

MATT VAUGHAN

President, Applied Science & Technology at Battelle

Matt Vaughan is President of the Applied Science & Technology Group at Battelle. Matt came to Battelle from Leidos, Inc. where he served as a Senior Vice President within the Health business, and was responsible for growing the company's health products and solutions. In his six years with Leidos, Matt also held senior management positions with the company’s Integrated Systems Group, the Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, and the company’s Government Affairs practice. Prior to Leidos, Matt spent 13 years with BAE (Sanders) Systems in program management, quality and government affairs roles. He began his professional career as a legislative assistant and legislative director for former United States Congressman Charles Bass. Matt holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master’s degree in technology management from the University of New Hampshire.

Startup Network Pitch Presentations 

Learn more about the startups in the 2025 Cohort. 

September 10, 2025

Opening Remarks

PRESENTER

JASON PEARSON

Executive Director at Change Chemistry

Jason Pearson is Executive Director of Change Chemistry, bringing three decades of experience building, leading, and advising collaborative sustainability initiatives. He previously served as Founding CEO and Chair of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, harnessing market influence to advance environmental and social goals. As the Founding CEO of GreenBlue, he spearheaded innovative supply chain projects like the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, CleanGredients, and the How2Recycle program. Jason has also led strategic advisory work for government, civil society, and private sector clients through Anthesis and TRUTHstudio, and managed research projects such as Economy Map, which visualized how economic demand shapes supply chain impacts. He has overseen grantmaking initiatives for The Summit Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Jason holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Princeton University.

PRESENTER

JOEL TICKNER

Strategic Advisor at Change Chemistry

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

DR. MICHAEL W. DENNIS, ESQ.

Vice President & Chief Science Officer at CAS

Michael W. Dennis is the Vice President, Chief Science Officer and Chief Legal Officer of CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Dr. Dennis is responsible for all CAS legal matters, including licensing of intellectual property (IP) and Compliance. He is also responsible for the curation of all CAS science content, which fuels CAS products and services. Lastly, he is responsible for CAS Community Relations, as CAS gives back to improve people’s lives.

Dr. Dennis joined CAS in 1997 from Metcalf & Eddy, a global environmental consulting and engineering firm, where he was Senior Chemist.

He is active in the American Chemical Society (ACS), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); and the American, Ohio, and Columbus Bar Associations.

He serves on the COSI (Science Museum) Board, National Veterans Memorial and Museum (NVMM) Board, Smart Columbus Advisory Board, Juvenile Diabetes (JDRF) Advisory Board, One Columbus Leadership Circle, Columbus Rotary and PAST Foundation Board. He also actively participates in several charitable organizations.

Dr. Dennis earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the Ohio State University, and JD from Capital University.

SESSION 1: Twenty Years of Changing Chemistry: What have we learned? Where do we need to go?

MODERATOR

JOEL TICKNER

Strategic Advisor at Change Chemistry

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

CHRIS CASSELL

Vice President of Corporate Sustainability at Lowe's

As vice president, corporate sustainability, Chris Cassell leads and drives all aspects of Lowe’s sustainability strategy, coordinating the company’s overall approach to environmental, social and governance reporting, and serves as Lowe’s chief internal and external advocate to enhance the company’s impact on the environment. He joined Lowe’s in 2011.

Chris has more than 21 years of experience in consulting, business planning, strategy, and sustainability. Prior to this role, he served as senior director, corporate sustainability. During his tenure, Chris has also served as director of business planning and strategy, and director of future planning. Before joining Lowe’s, he served as a management consultant at North Highland and Accenture.
Chris earned a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from George Washington University and a master’s degree in international business studies from The Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. 

PRESENTER

BOB KUMPF

Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting LLP

Robert is a Managing Director with Deloitte Consulting LLP and advises clients globally in the chemicals and specialty materials sector with a focus on strategy, innovation, and leading company transformations. He has more than 30 years of chemical industry experience, including 28 years in the private sector—first as a researcher, and then, as an executive at large multinationals and late-stage startups.

PRESENTER

DARCY PRATHER

Founder and CEO at Kalion, Inc.

Darcy is the founder and CEO of Kalion, an industrial biotech company focused on manufacturing glucaric acid and related molecules. He formerly worked at McKinsey & Co. and several different startups. While at McKinsey, one of his key assignments was to develop a strategy for a key bioengineered product for a Fortune 500 company. The strategy proved widely successful for the company, and for over a decade, has driven billions in profits. He received his MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics while studying at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship. He received two S.B.'s from MIT, one in Electrical Engineering and one in Science, Technology and Society. He is a former member of the Massachussets Institute of Technology's board of trustees and Great Lakes Industrial Technology Council (GLITeC) Advisory Board.

PRESENTER

MARK ROSSI

Senior Research Associate at UMass Lowell

Mark Rossi is a senior research associate at the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production (LCSP). He is a leader in creating innovative solutions to the challenges of hazardous chemicals in products, manufacturing operations, and supply chains.

Rossi led and co-created solutions for safer alternatives to chemical pollution from 2004-2025 as the co-director and then executive director at the non-profit environmental organization, Clean Production Action. Recognizing that no single organization can solve the complex problems of chemical pollution, he founded in 2006 the multi-stakeholder collaboration, BizNGO Working Group for Safer Chemicals and Sustainable Materials, to bring together business leaders, regulators, and environmentalists to co-create safer solutions.

In the search for reducing the complexity of finding safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals, Rossi led the development of and co-created the chemical hazard assessment method, GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals in 2007, and the ecolabel standard, GreenScreen Certified® in 2017. Today, companies across the globe use GreenScreen to select safer chemicals and products in the building, electronics, retail, textile, health care, firefighting foam, apparel, and food service ware sectors. Seeing the need for a metric to track progress away from hazardous chemicals to safer solutions, he co-founded the Chemical Footprint Project (CFP) in 2014. The concept of chemical footprinting as defined by CFP is now integrated into the international Global Framework on Chemicals. With LCSP team members he has co-authored many research reports, including: Chemical Footprint Project annual reports (2016-2020); Alternatives to Methylene Chloride in Paint and Varnish Strippers (2015); Guidelines for Sustainable Plastics (2009); and Alternatives Assessment Framework of the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production (2006).

SESSION 2: Measuring Progress: How do we know if we are moving the needle on sustainable chemistry? 

MODERATOR

ALEXANDRA MCPHERSON

Director of the Investor Environmental Health Network (IEHN) at Clean Production Action

Alexandra McPherson is director of the Investor Environmental Health Network (IEHN) for Clean Production Action (CPA), a nonprofit advancing market and policy-based solutions for a safer chemicals economy.  Through IEHN, Alexandra supports investor led corporate engagement efforts to advance green chemistry and reduce financial risks associated with chemical pollution.  Alexandra is also the principle of Niagara Share where she co-leads the Collaborative for the Regenerative Economy (CoRE) with the University at Buffalo's Materials Design and Innovation Department and Clean Production Action. CoRE advances new tools essential to accelerating the development of safer materials for clean energy technologies. Alexandra has co-authored several publications outlining the transformative change that is within our reach, including, “Elements of Change: Moving forward together toward a cleaner, safer future”, and “Greening Consumer Electronics: the Move Away from Chlorine and Bromine”.  Alexandra is an adjunct professor for the University at Buffalo’s School of Management, teaching their PMBA course on Sustainability as a Business Strategy. She also serves on the board of Clean and Healthy New York. 

PRESENTER

ANNE-LAURE BRISON

Senior Manager, Circular Products and Materials at WBCSD

Anne-Laure Brison is Senior Manager, Circular Products and Materials at WBCSD.
She leads the work done with WBCSD members to accelerate value chains transformation toward net-zero, nature-positive chemicals by 2050, empowered by a circular economy, with a focus on Chemicals.
She has spent over 20 years leading change by embedding sustainability into innovation & core operations for companies in the chemical value chains. She holds an MBA in Sustainable Business Management from Haute Ecole de Gestion de Genève (HEG) and an MSc in Chemical Engineering from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Industries Chimiques in France. Anne-Laure is dedicated to advancing circularity, regenerating nature, and promoting girls' education.

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

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

LARISA RUOFF

Director of Shareholder Advocacy at Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge (LWC)

Larisa joined LWC in 2013 and runs the Shareholder Advocacy program. Previously, she was Director of Shareholder Advocacy for Green Century Capital Management and Research Director for Corporate Accountability International. She graduated from St. Lawrence University, holds a Masters of International Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, and has. CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing.

SESSION 3: Scaling Sustainable Chemistries - Strategies and Roadmaps to Grow Adoption and Scale - Solvents Focused

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

ERIK EDWARDS

Principal Materials Scientist at Battelle

Erik Edwards is a Principal Materials Scientist with an impressive 23 years of industry experience in research and development, including 16 years at Battelle. His expertise lies in Materials Science, with a strong focus on materials selection, process development, optimization, testing, and lifetime and failure analysis, with a significant portion of his career dedicated to medical devices materials work. Currently, Erik is focused on working with automated laboratory equipment, developing new structural materials and associated manufacturing processes for the Department of Defense, and processing of energetic materials. Erik holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BS from Iowa State University.

PRESENTER

TERESA MCGRATH

Chief Research Officer at Habitable

Teresa McGrath, Chief Research Officer, leads Habitable's Research and Education strategies. With prior experience in government, NGO and industry, she brings a wealth of holistic knowledge and multi-sector experience to our team. Teresa led the Chemical Management Program for Sherwin-Williams, the largest paints and coatings company in the world, where she focused on hazards reduction and transparency, and assisted business units in meeting sustainability and green chemistry goals. She also spent nine years as the Senior Managing Toxicologist at NSF International’s Green Chemistry Programs, and two years at the Environmental Protection Agency in the Design for the Environment (DfE) Branch of the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT).

PRESENTER

ADELINA VOUTCHKOVA

Director of Sustainable Development at the American Chemical Society

Adelina Voutchkova is the Director of Sustainable Development at the American Chemical Society and leads the ACS Green Chemistry Institute®. Adelina joined the ACS from George Washington University where her research program spans the two frontiers of green chemistry: the development of green synthetic methods through supported catalysis, and the development of predictive methods for identifying chemicals of toxicological concern. She is the recipient of the NSF CAREER award, the 2020 Early Career Researcher Award from GWU, and the 2021 Thieme Chemistry Journals Award, among others. Adelina was previously a Research Associate and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Yale Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering. She completed her Ph.D. in organometallic chemistry at Yale with Bob Crabtree, focusing on atom-economical catalytic transformations facilitated by NHC complexes. She earned her BA from Middlebury College, where she worked with Prof. Sunhee Choi on the chemistry of Pt anticancer complexes.  

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 

SESSION 4: Future Directions for Change Chemistry: A Conversation with our Members

PRESENTER

JASON PEARSON

Executive Director at Change Chemistry

Jason Pearson is Executive Director of Change Chemistry, bringing three decades of experience building, leading, and advising collaborative sustainability initiatives. He previously served as Founding CEO and Chair of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, harnessing market influence to advance environmental and social goals. As the Founding CEO of GreenBlue, he spearheaded innovative supply chain projects like the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, CleanGredients, and the How2Recycle program. Jason has also led strategic advisory work for government, civil society, and private sector clients through Anthesis and TRUTHstudio, and managed research projects such as Economy Map, which visualized how economic demand shapes supply chain impacts. He has overseen grantmaking initiatives for The Summit Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Jason holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Princeton University.

PRESENTER

JOEL TICKNER

Strategic Advisor at Change Chemistry

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

September 11, 2025

Keynote Address

PRESENTER

BOB LAWTON

Vice President of Technology & Innovation at Hexion Inc.

Bob Lawton is Vice President of Technology & Innovation at Hexion, leading global R&D across adhesives, oil & gas, mining, and intermediates. With a Ph.D. in chemistry and over 40 years of experience, his teams have launched products generating more than $1 billion in revenue. His work spans pigments, polyester films, electroplating, solid surface countertops, reverse osmosis membranes, adhesives, static dissipative fillers, and engineering resins. Having founded PIntEx Consulting & Training, a company that specializes in competitive intelligence, and with his wife, having coauthored mystery novels under the pen name Rob Lawton, he is also an expert on whodunit.

SESSION 5: Changing the Nature of Policy to Drive Sustainable Chemistry

MODERATOR

JOEL TICKNER

Strategic Advisor at Change Chemistry

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

JAN AHLSKOG

Senior Adviser - Food, Industrials, Chemicals & Environment at FIPRA International

Jan Ahlskog brings more than 25 years of expertise advising Fortune 500 companies on some of their toughest public affairs challenges to FIPRA clients. He is known for his especially effective counsel on consumer goods matters, notably concerning food and beverages regulation. He is also sought after for his strategic insights on chemicals and mining matters, as well as policies to support the green transition.

Working alongside clients in these sensitive industries, Jan has also become a trusted adviser on corporate social responsibility (CSR). His counsel enables clients to enhance their brand reputation, anticipate regulatory trends and build trust with key stakeholders.

Previously, Jan led the public policy management practice for a leading international public affairs firm. Before that, he was a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Consultative Committee and served as Counsellor on European Affairs for the Finnish Central Chamber of Commerce in Helsinki.

Jan holds a MA in international relations and management from Schiller University.

PRESENTER

LAUREN BREYNAERT

Policy & Government Affairs Director at Tidal Vision

Lauren comes to Tidal Vision with over a decade of experience in policy advocacy and legislative efforts. She has led transformative initiatives in the climate, carbon removal, and circular economy sectors, and is excited to apply her expertise to drive impactful, scalable solutions in her role as Policy & Government Affairs Director. 

PRESENTER

MICHAEL GRUBER

Executive Vice President, Government Relations & Public Policy at Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA)

Michael Gruber serves as Executive Vice President of Government Relations & Public Policy. As part of the executive leadership team, Mike will further strengthen and help drive HCPA’s presence, influence, and effectiveness across the federal and state legislative and regulatory landscapes. In this position, Mike will leverage his bi-partisan Capitol Hill and state experience to lead the Association’s advocacy efforts.

Gruber previously served as vice president, public policy, at the Consumer Brands Association where he was responsible for shaping policy positions for state and federal advocacy initiatives to advance “smart regulations” for the consumer packaged goods industry. Since joining the Consumer Brands Association (formerly, Grocery Manufacturers Association) in 2012, Gruber helped drive enactment of the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, lead federal legislative advocacy for the regulatory implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act, provided leadership on state packaging sustainability legislation, and engagement support on federal and state chemicals management rules.

In addition, Michael contributed to the development and growth of SmartLabel™, the leading digital consumer transparency platform shaping federal and state ingredient disclosure policies. In 2014, he coordinated funding and directed victorious ballot measure campaigns in Colorado and Oregon to prevent a patchwork of state labeling laws.

Prior to his arrival at GMA, Gruber was a senior policy adviser to the House Energy & Commerce Committee where he managed budget and spending-related matters with the Congressional Budget Office, House Committee on Appropriations, House Leadership, and the Budget Committee. His role with the committee included oversight activities on federal chemical security regulations, consumer protection policy and energy initiatives.

Michael served as chief of staff, appropriations associate staff to the House Appropriations Committee, and legislative director to Representative Tom Latham of Iowa. During his tenure with Latham, he helped enact spending bills for every corner of the federal government. Michael arrived in D.C. in 1994, after serving as field director for George Nethercutt’s victorious campaign against Speaker of the House Tom Foley. He later served Congressman Nethercutt as a legislative assistant, district director and re-election campaign manager.

Gruber also worked as senior account executive for gabbegroup, a New York City based corporate public relations firm. In addition, he served as a director of federal affairs at Conkling, Fiskum & McCormick, a Portland, Oregon based public affairs firm.

Michael lives on Capitol Hill with his spouse, Gretchen Lamberg, two teenage children, and a couple of ill-tempered rescue dogs.

PRESENTER

LIZ RICE

North America Manager, Product Safety & Regulatory Affairs at Akzo Nobel

Liz Rice is the North America Manager for the Product Safety & Regulatory Affairs function, where she leads the regulatory team charged with ensuring compliance for all business units operating in the United States, Canada and Mexico.  Prior to joining AkzoNobel in 2011, she began her regulatory career with The Scotts-Miracle Gro Company.

Liz earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from The Ohio State University and her Master’s in Business Administration from Franklin University.  She resides in the Cleveland area with her husband and their three children.  Her favorite leisure time activity is sand volleyball.

SESSION 6: Molecular Accounting & Data Transparency: How to Measure so we can Manage

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

MIKE DELEE

Global Business Product Stewardship Director at Dow

Mike DeLee serves as the Global Product Stewardship Director at Dow in Packaging, Specialty Plastics, Olefins, Aromatics, Hydrocarbons, and Consumer Solutions (e.g. Silicones). He leads a global team of product stewards responsible for tracking chemical regulations, assessing products for safety and sustainability information, ensuring regulatory compliance, and communicating relevant information to customers and stakeholders. He has a passion for people, planet, and partnership. 

Prior to this role, he has worked in the chemical industry, predominantly polymers and plastics, for 18+ in a variety of functions such as analytical, manufacturing, quality, and product stewardship with two international assignments in the Middle East and Europe. He represents Dow’s environment, health, safety, and sustainability function in various leadership, steering, and governance teams, as well as industry associations. Mike currently serves as co-chair of ICCA Additive working group increasing transparency on chemical additives in plastics, and is actively engaged in trade association work on the plastics treaty, Microplastics and Circularity. 

He has a degree in Polymer Chemistry from Louisiana State University, and is actively engaged in employee resource groups supporting persons with disabilities and diversity and inclusion initiatives. 

PRESENTER

MOLLY STRAUSBAUGH

Director, Scientific Content and Commercial Chemistry at CAS

Molly directs scientific content management, specializing in chemistry commercialization, supply chain, formulations, regulatory, and sustainability. She also oversees and supports consulting agreements and all special substance services. Molly leads several cross-functional teams to support CAS products and services, including the formulations content collection. CAS customers rely on the experience of Molly and her team for regulatory reporting, consulting on business, content, technology, and resource challenges, as well as data structuring and discovery, and data-enabled risk management.

Molly holds a B.S. in Chemistry and MBA degrees from Ohio Dominican University and is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. An active participant in global chemistry activities, Molly brings her informatics expertise to life in her home kitchen, where she explores global ingredients and flavors.

PRESENTER

HEATHER TENNEY

Science & Policy Director at Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI)

As the Institute’s TURA Program Director, Heather Tenney leads projects focused on implementation and policy analysis of the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA). She analyzes the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) data, which is reported yearly by Massachusetts companies to determine state-wide progress. Heather manages and provides research support for the activities of the TURA Science Advisory Board. Heather is a certified Toxics Use Reduction (TUR) Planner. Prior to TURI, she worked at the TURA Program’s Office of Technical Assistance after working for several years in industry. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Manufacturing Engineering from Boston University and a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Tufts University.

SESSION 7: Future Fit Materials - Addressing the Challenge 

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

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

STEVEN EVANS

Research Fellow at BioMADE

Steven L. Evans spent 30 years bringing biotechnology products to the field in small and large companies. Steve’s research blended high-resolution chemical analysis with enzymology and recombinant protein expression to explore agricultural and environmental applications of biotechnology. In 1988 he joined Mycogen Corporation, now Corteva Agriscience, where he was involved in developing natural and recombinant biopesticides, including several crop traits from the Mycogen genome pipeline. He worked to commercialize biochemical actives from natural products, several transgenic crops, and plant genome editing technology. After retiring as a Fellow from Dow AgroSciences he founded Re-Knowvate LLC. His passion is to use this experience and repurpose it today in organizations which drive 21st century biotechnology so that they may learn from the actions of the early pioneers in applied biotechnology, thus accelerating their ability to develop and deploy new technologies to benefit our world. Steve has been active in public-private partnerships such as the National Science Foundation–sponsored SynBERC synthetic biology consortium, which is now the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC). He served as Chair of the SynBERC the Industrial Advisory Board, and is now active in various roles at the EBRC. Steve served on the National Academies of Sciences Future Products of Biotechnology study and is currently on the NAS Safeguarding the Bioeconomy study. He was co-chair of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s Industrial and Environmental Section synthetic biology subteam. He received his BA and BS degrees in chemistry and microbiology from the University of Mississippi and a PhD in microbial physiology from the University of Mississippi Medical School. He was a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, and subsequently with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Peoria, Illinois.

PRESENTER

MICHAEL HERSHOWITZ

Director of Global Sustainability & Sustainable Innovation at
International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. IFF

As Director of Sustainable Innovation at IFF, a leader in food, beverage, health, biosciences, and scent, Michael is responsible for ensuring IFF’s pipeline of new innovations deliver differentiating sustainability value propositions that support healthy people and healthy planet.  A lifelong advocate for applying advanced technologies for the power of good, he facilitates internal and external partnerships that translate sustainability challenges to business opportunities, focusing on both the incremental and the disruptive. 

Michael is responsible for the creation and execution of IFF’s Innovation for Sustainability program – a data-driven approach for IFF to account for the impacts of new innovations on the environment, people and animals along the entire value chain. Prior to IFF Michael held R&D roles in the CPG and biotech worlds.  He has a degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering form the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from NC State University.

PRESENTER

HEATHER LUCKARIFT

Senior Research Leader at Battelle

Heather Luckarift is a Senior Research Scientist with Battelle Memorial Institute. Battelle is the largest independent nonprofit applied science and technology organization in the world, with a mission of using science to do the greatest good for humanity. Heather has more than 25 years’ experience in research innovation and discovery and leads research teams responsible for sustainable replacements to various industrial products and processes, ranging from firefighting foams to concrete, and bioengineering. Heathers’ research has been documented in more than 100 publications, presentations at national and international conferences, a book, and several patents including biosynthesis, biological fuel cells, and new materials. 

Heather has worked across academia, industry, and federal agencies in a variety of roles, and currently supports Battelle’s national security leadership in steering sustainable product development and circularity. Heather has a PhD in Biotechnology from Warwick University in the United Kingdom, and is a Program Management Professional (PMP).

Closing Remarks

PRESENTER

JASON PEARSON

Executive Director at Change Chemistry

Jason Pearson is Executive Director of Change Chemistry, bringing three decades of experience building, leading, and advising collaborative sustainability initiatives. He previously served as Founding CEO and Chair of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, harnessing market influence to advance environmental and social goals. As the Founding CEO of GreenBlue, he spearheaded innovative supply chain projects like the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, CleanGredients, and the How2Recycle program. Jason has also led strategic advisory work for government, civil society, and private sector clients through Anthesis and TRUTHstudio, and managed research projects such as Economy Map, which visualized how economic demand shapes supply chain impacts. He has overseen grantmaking initiatives for The Summit Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Jason holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Princeton University.