Benjamin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and an M.B.A from the University of Akron. In his current role, Benjamin leads the strategic consulting division of Smithers Information in North America. This division works with clients to gather a deep understanding of their business goals, and to develop in-depth research programs to provide visibility into markets and niches. This process is designed to dig deep into a wide variety of industries and topics, gather insights, and provide an unbiased view of the key challenges faced by our clients. These efforts allow our clients to evaluate their strategic plans and make decisions based upon credible data and analysis, supported by robust research conclusions and recommendations.
Brent Lindberg is annoying, and he knows it. With a curiosity that rivals George, he has a habit of relentlessly asking questions like a 5-year-old. And anyone who knows him can tell you he has an obnoxious appetite for the unexpected. But somehow these odd traits create a perfect storm for real innovation. This has become the culture of Fuseneo, the packaging innovation team he formed over a decade ago. Together they help brands find unexpected opportunities in packaging by combining daring creativity with serious expertise.
Nate works in tandem with the Product Safety and Sustainability team in Finland to provide a range of services to the Americas market and functions as Metsä Board’s sustainability expert in the region. Based in the Norwalk, CT office, he is responsible for educating customers on the sustainability-related attributes of Metsä Board products and operations, which involves providing environmental impact data, regulatory/compliance information, and other relevant internal or industry resources. He also helps customers interpret sustainability information so they can effectively reduce the environmental impact of their packaging. Nate holds a BS in Chemistry from Bates College as well as an MBA in Sustainability and Social Change and an MS in Environmental Science and Policy from Clark University.
Danny Rubenstein provides strategic counseling to industry regarding regulatory compliance requirements for food packaging materials and food ingredients across the globe. As an Industrial Engineer with a background in manufacturing, Danny recognizes the importance of providing clients with timely and actionable advice regarding critical regulatory decisions that drive product innovation, marketing, and promotion. Danny leverages this experience to assist companies in proactively establishing compliance for products under the laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Union (EU), and jurisdictions throughout Asia and South America.
Tania's experience in packaging manufacturing, marketing and innovation spans nearly 20 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in Communications from Hautes Études Commercials (HEC) in Montreal, with focus in marketing management. Ambitious and determined, Tania is successful at discovering new customer insights, and developing sustainable solutions that fulfill unmet market needs. She's passionate about the circular economy and thrives on identifying innovative & sustainable ways to redesign e-commerce packaging.
Meghan leads Business Development for Ecovative's MycoComposite™ platform, primarily focused on overseeing the Mushroom® Packaging custom design process, onboarding new customers, and supporting Ecovative's growing network of MycoComposite™ licensees. Meghan has a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a dual B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Design, Innovation & Society from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and has been a fan of the company for over a decade since first learning about Ecovative's founders and their story from her late mentor and early Ecovative champion, Burt Swersey. Meghan was thrilled for the opportunity to join the Ecovative team in late 2019 and brings business development experience from local technology company, Vital Vio. She began her career in a fluid system design role at GE Power directly following her M.S. focused on additive manufacturing of composites. Meghan has a deep passion for applying her energy to opportunities that make an impact and loves working with small and agile teams. Her greatest passions outside of the office are spending time with her family and traveling.
Chantal believes that leveraging the right technology at the right time has the power to solve problems in magical ways. As a software engineer, she has been able to bring these solutions to life building tools and experiences.
Today, she applies these principles as the CTO and Co-founder of LimeLoop, developing smart sustainable packaging and the digital platform to support them
In those rare moments, when she steps away from the computer, you can usually find her with her head down in the arts & craft hobby of the month or testing out new recipes in the kitchen.
At Motogo Systems, David Ruth is leading his startup team in creating significant value for shippers, couriers, and especially customers by applying smart packaging technologies to the challenges of last-mile delivery of goods.
At IBM, David had the opportunity to spearhead many impactful solutions and systems which have been used by governments, academia, and corporations all over the world. These included advancing the state of the art in the areas of VLSI chip design & validation, computer systems, and leading-edge technical initiatives.
Saloni is the CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer at EcoEnclose, the world's most innovative provider of sustainable shipping solutions for ecommerce brands. She is passionate about helping conscious companies thrive and pursuing advancements that help build towards a truly circular materials economy. Prior to EcoEnclose, Saloni was a Managing Director at New Venture Advisors, a consultancy that supports the development and growth of sustainable food and agriculture. Professionally, Saloni's career has balanced social justice, environmental progress, and strategy - including the launch of Fresh Takes Kitchen, a social enterprise committed to improving healthy food access and serving as a Director at Teach For America. Saloni lives in Colorado with her three children, whose deep and growing passion for the planet and all of its biodiversity inspires her for what the future may bring.
A driven, authentic business leader with proven track record of motivating teams to envision and deliver actual business transformation on a global scale. Twenty years of working experience across project- functional- and line-management roles within strategy consultancy, financial services and FMCG. Strong functional expertise in strategic sourcing, productivity, compliance, IT/operations, and consumer relations. Confident and hands-on manager. Life-long learning adept. Intrinsic motivation to train & develop teams. Ability to quickly analyse, challenge, source & implement (changing) business requirements.
Kerry Sanders is the Vice President, eCommerce Center of Excellence for EFI and focuses on driving awareness and adoption of EFI digital printing solutions for corrugated packaging in the eCommerce customer segment. Kerry's unique perspectives are informed by his executive experience in business development, operations, and marketing for Fortune 500 companies. Prior to joining EFI, Kerry served as Executive Vice President, Global Business Development at Craft Worldwide, an Interpublic Group (IPG) agency. Prior to Craft, Kerry held key leadership roles in sales and marketing at HP and Xerox, focusing on global new product introductions for digital transformations.
Mr. Hiser is Vice President of Standards and Certification at the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA), an association focused on empowering organizations and their people to minimize product damage throughout distribution and optimize resource usage through effective package design. He manages ISTA technical activities including development and maintenance of ISTA test Procedures and Projects, as well as ISTA Certification programs for labs, packaged-products and people.
Prior to joining ISTA in 2014, his packaging career included solving supply chain challenges at UPS’s Package Design and Testing Laboratory as well as developing Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) for Scott’s Miracle-Gro. Mr. Hiser is a graduate of the Michigan State University School of Packaging with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Packaging. He is involved in industry activities as a Packaging Industry Advisory Board member for Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
Allison Berg is Sustainability Manager for DS Smith North America, where she manages the delivery of the company’s Now & Next Sustainability Strategy, which focuses on closing the sustainability loop through better design, protecting natural resources by making the most of every fiber, reducing waste and pollution through circular solutions and equipping people to lead the transition to a circular economy.
Joey is a senior packaging design engineer on the pixel team. In this role, he focuses on structural packaging design and manufacturing. Prior to Google, Joey was a packaging engineer specializing in protective packaging for companies including KLA Tencor, and EPE USA.
Joey has a bachelor's degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he studied Consumer packaging solutions, minoring in packaging.
