Samantha Romanick is a postdoctoral associate at the University of Rochester Department of Biomedical Engineering. Samantha runs the Microplastic Workgroup of Western New York, and her research interests include identifying and quantifying human exposure to environmental microplastics and their effects on human health. Samantha’s adoption of plastic-free living and her passion for fighting plastic pollution…
Kelley Dennings (she/her) is a campaigner with the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, where she develops and executes advocacy and outreach initiatives that address the connections between reproductive health, gender equity, endless growth, inequitable consumption, and the climate and extinction crises. Before the Center, she worked in waste management and forest conservation. She holds a…
Ms. York is an environmental professional with eight years of experience in the solid waste and recycling industry, coordinating and managing regulatory compliance programs for local governments. She specializes in designing solutions and creating comprehensive strategies for local jurisdictions. She is involved in public outreach, creating educational tools, collecting and analyzing data, and client communications.
Ushma has had a lifelong interest in sustainability and waste reduction. Before the term “zero waste” was coined, she raised awareness about consumption and waste with her schoolmates and work colleagues. Before launching Think Zero, Ushma held senior management roles with American Express, Booz & Co., and Katzenbach Partners. She has worked on environmental issues…
Lisa Clarke is an Epidemiologist who worked in the field of cancer research. After her children began school, she volunteered to restart their school’s green programs. In the process, she discovered that schools offered incredible opportunities to address climate change but rarely had anyone trained, tasked, or paid to run sustainability programs. Lisa set about…
Kana is Japanese and Chinese, born and raised in Canada. She is the Co-founder and Director of INOW, an educational tourism program based in Kamikatsu, the first “Zero Waste Village” in Japan. INOW facilitates educational and transformative educational experiences aimed to encourage participants to explore, reflect, and, through experience, learn about zero waste and sustainability….
Andre Villasenor serves in EPA’s Zero Waste Section, coordinating projects on sustainable materials management (SMM) and circular economy. He is the SMM lead for EPA Region 9’s Border 2025 program, which focuses on improving human health and environmental results along the U.S.-Mexico border. His work at EPA has also included WasteWise, Federal Green Challenge, Food…
Kendon Jung is a designer of zero waste enterprises and a sustainability scholar. His vision is to build human potential by making sustainability universally accessible and tangible. Kendon is a versatile and driven leader that can handle numerous and varied responsibilities in a fast-paced environment. With over 10 years of experience in the field, he…
Marty Metro is an eco-entrepreneur and successful CEO with an “if at first, you don’t succeed” attitude… and a track record to prove it! After earning an MBA and being known as an early expert in SAP (mid-90s), Metro risked it all to be an eco-entrepreneur… and failed miserably. He then tried a bigger and…
Patti Toews works as APTIM’s Local and State Government Sustainability Waste Management Solutions provider, focusing on new and existing regulatory challenges and issues.