Samantha Sommer brings 15 years of industry experience helping businesses, governments, and communities transition to better systems that promote source reduction and reuse rather than better recycling and organics diversion. As the Director of Business Innovation at Upstream, Samantha is accelerating and promoting effective, doable, and cost saving reusable models and services focused in the food and beverage industry.
Before joining Upstream, Samantha directed the award-winning ReThink Disposable campaign for Clean Water Action and oversaw the certification of hundreds of food service operations.
Samantha consults businesses and governments on their zero waste plans and supports innovation around new reuse services and pilots. She is a Certified Professional in Sustainable Resource Management and holds degrees in Environmental Studies and Community Development from UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis.