Keynotes
Wes Olson
Wes Olson was raised in the rugged foothills of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. There, on family camping, hunting and fishing trips began a life-long association with wild places and wildlife that live in them. Following graduation from college Wes worked for several years as a Wildlife Technician for the Yukon Government, then after a stint at the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1981, began a career with Parks Canada as a National Park Warden in Banff, Waterton Lakes, Elk Island, Prince Albert and Grasslands National Parks, where he retired in 2012. This long history with the most spectacular natural areas that Canada has to offer, has provided Wes with a wealth of artistic inspiration that is reflected in the accuracy and detail of his works of art. From high mountain passes to hot barren plains, from ranches and competitive horse events to a diverse selection of wildlife subjects, Wes strives to put on paper and canvas the beauty he has been fortunate to observe.
After working for more than 40 years with this charismatic animal, Wes has developed an international reputation for his knowledge about both plains and wood bison. Wes has the unique ability to combine his extensive scientific knowledge about bison with his talents using graphite, watercolor, oil painting and mixed medium artwork to capture the buffalo and other wildlife in their natural environments. With several dozen limited edition prints (both litho and giclee) in circulation, collectors from around the world have Wes Olson’s art hanging in their collections.
In 2005 Wes and photographer Johane Janelle combined their talents and published the book, “Portraits of the Bison; An Illustrated Guide to Bison Society.” This book is unique. No other book about bison captures the complexity and elegance of this species as do the photographs, drawings, paintings and well-crafted text contained in Portraits of the Bison. The book is sold out.
In 2012 their second collaboration resulted in the publication of “A Field Guide to Plains Bison.” Produced in field guide size and format, it is an invaluable aid to bison enthusiasts who want to understand the species better. It is filled with fascinating tidbits about the animal that will entertain and enrich you while you’re visiting a bison sanctuary.
In 2022 a new book “The Ecological Buffalo” takes a journey through the myriad connections this keystone species has with the Great Plains. This book is an accumulation of 14 years of work with bison throughout North America.
Wes has been a keynote speaker at conferences, seminars and naturalist groups across Canada and the United States and continues to give presentations about bison and the ecosystem roles they play to any audience curious about bison.
Session Speakers
Adriana Shu-Yin
Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group)
Adriana Shu-Yin is a project manager for environment and climate change at the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group). Her focus is on supporting the circular economy through the development of national standards, guidelines and research that prioritize resource recovery, climate adaptation and reduce embodied carbon. She is leading the development of a series of bi-national standards on reusable packaging system to support the reuse ecosystem and enable interoperability between communities and businesses. Through her work, Adriana leverages her expertise to drive impactful change and create a greener future. She holds a degree in environmental science from the University of Toronto.
Aidan Mills
Northstar Clean Technologies
Aidan Mills holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree from Edinburgh University, MBA degree with Distinction from the Edinburgh Business School and is a Chartered Engineer (UK). He has over 30 years of global experience, including BP, Husky Energy, Goldman Sachs, MEG and the Friesen Group of Companies.
Aidan is now the CEO at Northstar Clean Technologies a Canadian clean technology company focused on the sustainable recovery and reprocessing of asphalt shingles. Northstar has developed a proprietary design process for taking discarded asphalt shingles, otherwise destined for already over-crowded landfills, and extracting the liquid asphalt for use in new hot mix asphalt, shingle manufacturing and asphalt flat roof systems, and aggregate and fiber for use in construction products and other industrial applications. Focused on the circular economy, Northstar plans to reprocess used or defective asphalt shingle waste back into its three primary components for reuse/resale at its first commercial scale up facility in Calgary, Alberta. As an emerging innovator in sustainable processing, Northstar’s mission is to be the leader in the recovery and reprocessing of asphalt shingles in North America, extracting the recovered components from asphalt shingles that would otherwise be sent to landfill.
Allen Langdon
Circular Materials
As CEO, Allen is responsible for leading Circular Materials through the development of Ontario’s new blue box recycling system while expanding the organization’s operations into other provinces, starting with New Brunswick. His mission is to support producers with a robust not-for-profit service offering that advances the circular economy, delivers national harmonization of extended producer responsibility (EPR) services and harnesses competitive procurement to provide the best value for producers.
Prior to joining Circular Materials, Allen served as the President and CEO of Return-It, British Columbia’s very successful used beverage container management program in Canada. In this role, Allen oversaw the modernization of Return-It’s collection network, which consists of more than 170 collection sites, including Return-It depots, Express Plus and Express & GO stations. Return-It has routinely exceeded a 75% recovery rate for used beverage containers in British Columbia, and its network has supported the collection of new materials, including waste electrical and electronic equipment.
Allen also served as the Managing Director for Recycle BC, the first 100% EPR program for paper and packaging in North America where industry assumed full financial and managerial responsibility for the residential recycling system.
Allen currently serves as an Advisory Board Member for the Washington State Recycling Development Centre.
Amin Mneina
GoodRoads
Amin Mneina, P.Eng., MSc. is the Senior Specialist of Technical Programs and Research at Good Roads. He holds a BSc. in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University and an MSc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Manitoba. With a diverse career spanning Canada and overseas, Amin has gained extensive experience in cementing engineering for the oil and gas sector, pavement engineering, research, and advanced material testing.
Amin currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Ontario Provincial Standards and other local and national boards and committees, contributing to the development and refinement of engineering standards and practices. He is actively involved in research projects focused on pavement engineering and sustainability. As part of his role in managing The Road Authority, Amin significantly impacts the evaluation and approval processes for infrastructure products in Ontario, helping shape the future of the province’s infrastructure.
Andrea Hull
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
Dr. Andrea Hull is a family physician and planetary health advocate. As a member of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) she has had the opportunity to work with like-minded health professionals. She recently completed an MSc in Climate Change and Planetary Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
Andrew Yule
SOLE & ReCORK
Andrew Yule is the VP of Operations for SOLE & ReCORK. For 7 years Andrew has been helping develop the ReCORK collection program that recycles wine cork toppers into usable products. Through SOLE & ReCORK’s values for Planet Protection and Giving Back Andrew helped form and is President of the Nose Creek Preservation Society. SOLE & ReCORK are committed to Making “Radical Change for Good” and this is evident in our people and our products.
Anna Ryan
Anna Ryan (she/her) discovered her interest in microplastics while completing her master’s degree at Dalhousie University. Anna was investigating microplastics in the air when she had the opportunity to go to Newfoundland to measure just how much plastic the atmosphere deposited during a hurricane. Anna was able to publish her work and has since shared awareness of the increased presence of microplastics on several platforms including CBC. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Earth Science and Oceanography.
Anthony Merante
Oceana Canada
Anthony Merante (he/him) has been working on protecting aquatic ecosystems for 15 years with a focus on government and community collaboration for large-scale impact. In his past roles in the not-for-profit and private sectors, Anthony has focused on restoring the health of the Great Lakes and addressing damage from urban pollution such as road salt and plastics, and has also led projects in Québec, Austria, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Since joining Oceana Canada in 2021, Anthony has published technical reports and federal policy recommendations that helped shape federal regulations. Anthony has worked on regulations like the single-use plastic prohibition, federal plastics registry, recycled content requirements, plastic labelling, and pollution prevention plans. Anthony is a member of the federal reuse technical standards committee, participates in the United Nation’s global plastic treaty negotiations and oversees Oceana Canada’s involvement in legal interventions to uphold federal regulation of plastics.
Anthony holds a master’s degree in Biology from l’Université du Québec à Montréal, a bachelor’s degree in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of Guelph, and a certificate in French from the University of Toronto.
Arash Alizadeh
University of Alberta
Arash Alizadeh holds a dual Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University (Canada) and University of Lyon (France). Dr. Alizadeh has over 15 years of academic/industrial experience in the polymer science and technology, particularly in the areas of polymer reaction engineering, process modeling and simulation, new plastic product development and scale-up as well as plastics recycling and sustainability.
As a senior research associate in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta, Dr. Alizadeh is responsible for acquisition, execution, coordination, and management of research projects funded by industry, academia, or public sector organizations. His research activities so far have resulted in numerous peer-reviewed papers published in leading academic journals, a patent, and a book chapter. His research findings have been presented both nationally and internationally at many reputable conferences.
Dr. Alizadeh is an avid educator and shares his knowledge through lectures and workshops, hoping to inspire the next generation of chemical engineers and material scientists with a passion for sustainability and the environment.
Bob Lowe
Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef
Bob is Past President of the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), Chair of CCA’s Public and Stakeholder Engagement program, and current President of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB). Bob is part of a long line of ranchers that came to Alberta in the late 1800’s and continues that legacy with feedlot operations based in Nanton, Alberta and a cow-calf operation in Eriksdale, Manitoba. He is an outspoken advocate for sharing information about raising cattle, feedlots, best management practices, and promotes the understanding of the stewardship and conservation that is inherent in sustainable beef production. Bob has utilized many different by-products, co-products and food waste into a quality balanced diet for his cattle, including ugly produce from grocery retailers.
Charles Boulet
United Concrete & Gravel Ltd. / Enviro-Corp Recycling
Charles Boulet is a Professional Engineer working as a Manager for United Concrete & Gravel Ltd. (UCG)
Enviro-Corp is our Recycling division where we now manufacture Foam Glass Aggregate.
David Merredew
City of Calgary
David Merredew has been working in the environmental field since the 1990s. Since 2008 he has been the Team Lead of Education, Outreach & Partnerships with the City of Calgary: Waste & Recycling Services. In this role he was part of the team that rolled out the City wide Blue Cart and then Green Cart programs as well as a variety of other initiatives focused on education and behavior change. His work currently focuses on supporting an array of circular economy projects throughout the City via partnerships with non-profit organizations. David has a Masters of Environmental Studies from York University and a Masters in Secondary Education from the University of Alberta.
Edward Gugenheimer
Alberta Recycling Management Authority
Ed Gugenheimer joined the Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA) in 2019 as our Chief Executive Officer, bringing over 27 years of experience in executive leadership, fiscal governance, and operational expertise.
Since joining, Ed has been instrumental in leading ARMA’s strategic success, including bringing life to our vision of Inspiring a Future Without Waste, adopted in 2020. His innate talent for strategic execution, financial, operational, and risk management, and his passion for building healthy organizational cultures have allowed ARMA to reach new heights in the sustainability and recycling sector. This includes addressing red tape reduction and launching our 43M electronics pilot program during the pandemic, helping better position ARMA to support our communities in recycling initiatives and diverting unnecessary waste from landfills. Ed also helped deliver a new strategic plan for the organization, and a new corporate governance model, vision, and mission that are helping shape the future of ARMA.
Most recently, under Ed’s leadership, ARMA has been selected by the Government of Alberta as the province’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) oversight body. Securing this position was a serious undertaking, but with Ed’s leadership and commitment to creating a more sustainable, innovative future, the organization is ready to help move Alberta forward. As the oversight body, Ed and his team will be responsible for working closely with stakeholders to deliver an extended producer responsibility program for Alberta, an approach where the physical and financial burden of collecting, sorting, processing, and recycling waste shifts to the producer and away from local governments and taxpayers. As ARMA moves into its 31st year of inspiring Albertans to reduce waste, Ed and his team are focused on shaping a strong, circular economy that sets Alberta up for continued success on the global stage.
Ed is a chartered professional accountant, bringing a strong background of financial acumen to his leadership role. He has held numerous positions across diverse industries supporting organizations. He resides in Edmonton with his wife, Leanne, and son, Addison. Beyond his professional life, Ed enjoys spending time at the lake and pursuing leadership, stewardship, and community development goals through his volunteer work.
Eliot Assimakopoulos
Realizse
Eliot Assimakopoulos is the CEO of Realizse. Realizse delivers digital validation of sustainable activity and monetization of decarbonization for corporations and sustainable technology providers.
Eliot has more than 25 years of experience in the construction, energy, and high technology industries. During his 20-year career at GE, he led efforts to advance technology and market development for sustainability and renewable energy. Specifically, he led the development and commercialization of GE’s microgrid solution from conception through the start-up of a new business unit in GE. Additionally, he led the startup of GE Grid Solutions Government Business.
Prior to joining GE, Eliot was Executive Vice President for MetroNexus, a $1.2B global technology asset company that he started-up with Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. He has also worked with other technology focused companies including Teleglobe International and MCI Communications.
Additionally, Eliot is frequently a public speaker advocating transformative models for energy & sustainability and has appeared on media productions such as PBS’ Fred Friendly Seminar & has co-authored several publications related to alternative energy & grid integration.
Eliot was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps and a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute. He also holds an MBA from American Intercontinental University.
Eliot has five children, lives in Pittsburgh, PA and enjoys hiking & reading.
Eric Corneau
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Eric Corneau has over 15 years of experience with Environment and Climate Change Canada. He has a bachelor’s degree with a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Biology from University of Ottawa and a Biotechnology diploma from La Cite Collégiale. He is currently a Manager in the Plastic and Marine Litter Division since 2019, where he manages a team of 4-5 that develop sector-based solutions. His team is focused on research and assessing sectors to advance Zero Plastic Waste in Canada. He also manages a large grant and contribution portfolio that provides funding of approximately $1 million per year for a range of projects to support evidence-based action as well as innovation and market transformation in key targeted sectors. Previously, Eric worked on high-profile substances under the Chemical Management Plan, where he developed and implemented a range of risk management measures to prevent or control the release of toxic substances in the environment. Eric also spent a year as a Clean Tech researcher and led evaluator for the Canadian Plastics Innovation Challenge.
Genaro Gelves
PolyCo Floors
Genaro is currently Product Manager at PolyCo Floors, an Alberta-based company that is pioneering the development and manufacturing of PVC-free circular resilient flooring for the North American market. His work focuses on leveraging local virgin and post-consumer materials while prioritizing product design aimed at circularity, ensuring that sustainability is embedded in the product lifecycle. PolyCo is looking to provide consumers with products that look and feel great, while boasting exceptional quality, durability, and sustainability.
With a strong background in product, applications, and business development, Genaro has previously worked in a variety of projects for innovative multinational and SME companies where he collaborated with large global customers on new applications of polymer-based materials. His passion for innovation, collaboration, and advancing the principles of sustainability and the circular economy has been a defining feature of his career. Genaro holds a Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry from the University of Alberta. Prior to his doctoral work, he earned his M.Sc. in Metallurgical Engineering and B.Sc. in Chemistry from the Industrial University of Santander (UIS) in Colombia. His professional journey includes a blend of academic research and industrial innovation, contributing to patents and scientific publications.
Genaro lives in Calgary with his wife Laura and his son Liam.
Jason Brown
Call2Recycle Canada
Jason Brown is the Director of Program and Project Management at Call2Recycle. Founded in 1997, the not-for-profit organization works on behalf of its members to provide battery recycling programs across Canada. Since inception, Call2Recycle has recycled over 50 million kilograms of batteries, keeping them out of local landfills and recovering the valuable materials that can be used to create new batteries and other products.
At Call2Recycle, Jason oversees multiple regulated consumer battery stewardship programs. He works closely with a wide range of stakeholders, including program industry members, regulators, advisory committees, service providers, and the public. He has a wealth of experience in the extended producer responsibility field, having managed numerous stewardship programs over the past seven years, in both Canada and the United States.
Jessica Regan
Food Mesh
Jessica Regan is a 4x entrepreneur, and thought leader on circular economy, waste recovery, and social impact business Previously, Jessica has consulted / advised numerous Fortune 500 corporations, start ups, and all four levels of government, including the United Nations, in areas of community economic development and sustainability.
Jessica’s work concentrates on developing highly scalable startups using business as a vehicle for social change, including: EcoTrek Tours (connecting schools to local environmental initiatives through tourism), Social Impact Technology Accelerator (SITA), and FoodMesh an award winning food recovery solution provider that leverages technology to help a network of over 2,500 organizations reduce waste to landfill, save costs, and feed more.
She is the Vice Chair of KASOW, a Kenyan based charity focusing on health, agriculture and micro financing for entrepreneurs, and serves as the Director for the Git’gaat First Nation Economic Development Council focused on economic self-determination through culturally aligned economic activities.
She holds a Masters Degree in Political Science at UBC, and lives in Vancouver, Canada with her husband and two young children.
Joanne Fedyk
Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council
Joanne Fedyk has been the Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council since 1991. She lives in Saskatoon with her partner and a large fuzzy cat.
João B. P. Soares
University of Alberta
João Soares is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta where he holds a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Advanced Polymer Reaction Engineering. He has received several awards, including the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE) R.S. Jane Memorial Award\, the University of Alberta Faculty of Engineering Career Research Award, the McMaster University Top 150 Alumni Award, the CSChE Syncrude Canada Innovation Award, the Dow Chemical Innovation Recognition Award, and the Premier’s Research Excellence Award. He also held the Campus Alberta Innovates Program (CAIP) Chair in Interfacial Polymer Engineering for Oil Sands Processing from 2013 to 2021.
He is a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada, a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, a Professional Engineer in Alberta, and Director of Publications and Continuing Education of the CSChE. Professor Soares also promotes the dissemination of chemical engineering knowledge as the Editor-in-Chief for the Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering. He has worked as a consultant for all major polyolefin manufacturing companies in the world.
Professor Soares is a leader in polymer reaction engineering (PRE), a research area that focuses on how to bring results from the laboratory to industrial production. Since the beginning of his academic career in 1995, Professor Soares has been refining his original methodology to investigate polymerization processes by integrating polymerization kinetics measurements, polymer molecular architecture characterization and testing, and mathematical modeling. His accomplishments in PRE are reflected in his appointments to editorial boards, participation in conference organizations, consulting activities, and industrial short courses. He is a member of the Wiley Polymer Scientific Committee, representing Macromolecular Reaction Engineering, the only scientific journal dedicated to polymer reaction engineering.
Prof. Soares spent most of his early career applying PRE principles to ethylene, propylene, and a-olefin polymerizations with coordination catalysts. This still remains his main area of research and expertise, but since joining the University of Alberta, he extended his research interests to new fields: 1) synthesis of water-soluble polymers for wastewater treatment, particularly for the remediation of oil sands tailings, 2) synthesis of polymer absorbers for oil spill remediation in fresh and seawater, 3) production of thin film composite membranes for wastewater treatment, 4) synthesis of CO2-based polymers for carbon-capture by the oil industry, 5) synthesis of electrical conductive polymers, and 6) design of stimuli-responsive polymers.
Prof. Soares has published over 300 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, authored 13 book chapters and 1 book, given over 300 invited presentations in international events and supervised 27 PhD students, 31 MSc students, 30 post-doctoral fellows and research assistant/associates, and more than 50 visiting scholars.
John Cardella
Nespresso Canada
John is a sustainability leader who is passionate about environmental innovations and processes that can help create circular economies to reduce waste. At Nespresso Canada, John is responsible for leading the expansion of the Canadian recycling program. He works closely with municipalities, producer responsibility organizations, and material recovery facilities across the country to ensure Nespresso recycling targets are achieved.
John is a graduate of Western University’s Master of Environment and Sustainability program and he holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from St. Francis Xavier University. Outside of work, he enjoys cycling, running, and reading.
Jordan Girling
Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
Within WRAP, as Head of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Jordan works with national and international partners, governments, NGO’s, charities, producers/manufacturers, and other industry stakeholders to design efficient and effective EPR mechanisms. Jordan leads the vision and strategy of EPR within WRAP, engaging with all waste streams where the concept of EPR can be applied, including, but not limited to, product packaging, electronics, batteries, and textiles. Jordan has 10+ years of EPR experience spanning the globe, including, but not limited to, UK, Europe, USA, Canada, South America, Australia, APAC, Middle East, and Africa.
As a member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management’s SEG (Strategic Expert Group) for Producer Responsibility, Jordan provides technical expertise to CIWM and sector stakeholders on existing and potential Producer Responsibility frameworks and legislation for various waste streams in the UK.
Karli Fleury
Banff & Lake Louise Hospitality Association
Karli Fleury (she/her) is the Director of Workforce & Destination Initiatives for the Banff & Lake Louise Hospitality Association, supporting tourism operators in Banff National Park. As a partner in the Banff Borrows project, she boosts engagement in reuse and waste diversions programs and represents business challenges within the partnership. With a degree in Human Resources and Corporate Social Responsibility and over 15 years of hospitality experience, Karli is committed to making Banff National Park a leader in reuse solutions for visitor economies, fostering and demonstrating sustainability and resilience in the tourism sector.
Kerra Chomlak
ClimateWest
Kerra Chomlak is the Executive Director of ClimateWest, a new non-profit organization with a mandate to deliver free climate services in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Any community, business or organization can reach out to ClimateWest to understand climate projections for their region and to get support on climate preparedness.
Prior to ClimateWest, Kerra worked at the City of Leduc managing waste reduction, environmental sustainability, climate adaptation and greenhouse gas mitigation. Kerra also served as the Executive Director at the Clean Air Strategic Alliance in Edmonton, building consensus between diverse stakeholders to manage air quality issues.
Kerra has an Environmental Physical Sciences degree from the University of Alberta and recently completed a Master of Arts in Climate Action Leadership at Royal Roads University. She lives and works on Treaty 6 territory and in the Homeland of the Métis Nation in Whitemud District 10.
Kiera Greenaway
Graduate Student at U of A
Kiera Greenaway (she/her) is a graduate student completing her MSc in Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta (U of A). She holds an undergraduate degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering, also from the U of A, and is a registered Engineer-In-Training (E.I.T.) in Alberta. Her master’s research investigates the environmental degradation of polyethylene microplastics. Since starting the project, Kiera has become captivated by the multidisciplinary intersections of microplastics. Alongside weathering experiments, Kiera is now working to develop the new Sustainable Design course for the U of A. The course aims to provide students with the tools and understanding needed to develop comprehensive solutions the complex problem space that is environmental microplastics.
Kiera is an active member in many extracurricular groups, including advocacy, science communication, and student governance. She strives to incorporate sustainability theory and practice into her everyday life as often as possible, and she is dedicated to improving material conditions through systems thinking and design.
Leah Seabrook
Strathcona County
Leah is a passionate and professional environmental leader with extensive experience in managing community waste reduction programs. With over 20 years of service in the public sector, she helped kick start Strathcona County’s Green Routine waste collection program and more recently led the community through the development of a new Waste Management Roadmap, which outlines a collective, community-wide commitment to rethinking waste and diverting more from landfill. It prioritizes an expanded waste hierarchy: rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle, recover and residual, which moves the community towards a circular economy and leading practices in waste management.
Leah is particularly enthusiastic about understanding and shifting behaviours associated with waste practices. She’s always looking for creative opportunities to educate and create positive change, innovation and environmental improvement.
Leor Rotchild
Upswing Solutions
Leor Rotchild is an author and consultant with over 20 years of sustainable business experience. As Senior Director with Upswing Solutions, Leor helps companies integrate sustainability into their core business strategies. He also advises an international NGO called Equitable Origin and a local network called Green Economy Calgary. Leor previously led a national professional association for sustainability professionals called Canadian Business for Social Responsibility and a sustainable events company called Do It Green. He has marshalled his diverse set of experiences and insightful stories into a new book entitled How We Gather Matters: Sustainable Event Planning for Purpose and Impact, where he channels his incredible passion for making sustainability actionable, and inspires business leaders to better leverage events as powerful platforms to effect change in our community. You can learn more and get in touch with Leor at https://leor.ca
Lynsay Beavers
Canadian Cattle Association
Lynsay Beavers is the Stakeholder Engagement Specialist at the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA). Working as part of the Public and Stakeholder Engagement (PSE) team, Lynsay leads various projects to promote consumer trust in the Canadian beef industry including the Beef Advocacy Canada program. Lynsay also supports the PSE team in issues response and assists with campaign strategy and execution. Prior to joining CCA, Lynsay worked in the dairy industry in extension, marketing, and communications.
Mannie Cheung
Product Care Association of Canada
Mannie Cheung is the Vice President of Operations at Product Care Association of Canada, a not-for-profit industry association that develops, implements, and operates extended producer responsibility programs for household hazardous and special products in Canada and the USA on behalf of its industry members. Mannie has over 20 years of leadership and management experience in the extended producer responsibility sector and more than 9 years in the hazardous waste management industry, leading business and program development, compliance, optimization of operational efficiencies and program effectiveness.
Marc Wandler
Susgrainable
Marc Wandler, Co-founder and CEO of Susgrainable, is an expert in the emerging circular economy and has led his business from inception to securing an offer on CBC Dragons’ Den. Marc’s journey as a founder began with a simple class project at UBC, where he was pursuing his MBA. This project turned into Susgrainable in 2018, a company that now upcycles spent grains from craft brewers to create nutritious, delicious, easy to make barley flour, baking mixes, and baked goods. Realizing the problem breweries have with disposing their spent grain byproduct and the nutritious byproduct being exactly what Canadians needed more of in their diets, Susgrainable was created to tackle two big problems with one simple solution. Today, Susgrainable is participating in the fight against low fibre diets and food waste with the creation of its shelf stable Upcycled Barley Flour, rich in fibre and protein. Some would call them beer’s healthier half.
Marie-Kim Boucher
RECYC-QUÉBEC
Holder of a master’s degree in environmental management from the University of Sherbrooke and a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Quebec at Rimouski, Ms. Boucher has worked in the environmental field since 2008. She joined RECYC-QUÉBEC in 2017.
Her main responsibilities include coordinating the 2023 Quebec waste assessment, and various waste characterization studies. In addition, she will coordinate a new study on quantifying impacts of re-use activities which will begin next fall.
Namrita Lamba
Reeve Consulting
Namrita (Nam) is a senior consultant at Reeve, known for her creative and organized approach to problem-solving. With a strong passion for waste management and circularity, especially in consumer goods, she brings a wealth of experience to her role.
Before joining Reeve, Nam was part of the corporate impact team at Herschel Supply, where she focused on sustainability and circular supply chain strategies. This followed her Master of Business Administration from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.
Nam has over a decade of experience in apparel and textile supply chain management in India. During this time, she actively participated in waste management initiatives for her company and partner factories. Her commitment to sustainable fashion extends to her ongoing volunteer work with Fashion Revolution and Remake.
Outside of work, Nam enjoys watching and playing soccer, exploring new places and foods, curating music playlists, and making to-do lists.
Pablo Russell
Native to the Kainai of Southern Alberta, Camille Pablo Russell, aa’spahk’ko’mii’kwan “Shooting in the Air” is an award winning international speaker, author, respected Blackfoot ceremonialist and cultural consultant.
Pablo grew up with his grandparents and was nourished in traditional ceremonial life. Nearly 40yrs after joining the sundance as a young man, he continues to leads The Path of the Buffalo Sundance every summer. Sharing stories is vital to transfer teachings, for belonging and cultural preservation. Pablo has pledged his life in service to following these Old Ways, spreading deep and simple truths that cut through the modern haze for people all over the world.
Patrick Jones
Fairmont Canadian Western Mountain Region
Patrick’s career in luxury hospitality has crossed nearly every operational department at six iconic properties in Western Canada. In his current capacity as Regional Director of Sustainability, Patrick oversees all sustainability initiatives at Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, and The Rimrock Resort, and proudly continues to build upon the region’s legacy in environmental stewardship spanning over three decades. Patrick’s contributions to his workplace and community have earned him the title of Alberta’s Top 30 Under 30 Leaders in Sustainability by the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation in 2018 and Canada’s Top 30 Under 30 Leaders in Hospitality by Kostuch Media in 2022.
Peter Duck
Peter holds a Master Degree in Environmental Studies with a background that ranges from hydrometeorology to wildlife ecology and environmental impact assessment. He began his career working for the Canadian Parks Agency’s interpretive program in Banff and Jasper National Parks planning and producing a variety heritage interpretation exhibits. Mr. Duck has also worked independently as an interpretive naturalist and instructor for many years.
Past activities have included serving as a wildlife technician for ecological land classifications including caribou and grizzly bear habitat evaluations. Peter is active as an advocate for environmental sustainability and has served on a number of local and national environmental advisory committees.
Ralph Torrie
Corporate Knights
Ralph Torrie is an analyst, thought leader, and advocate for sustainable development. He got involved in energy and environmental issues in the 1970’s while still a physics student at the University of Waterloo and has been working for environmental justice and sustainability ever since.
Attendees at past RCA conferences may recall Ralph’s previous presentations on the links between climate mitigation, the three R’s and the circular economy. This has been a longstanding focus of his research – see for example the paper he wrote in 2015 for the OWMA with Christina Seidel and Maria Kelleher.
Since his last address to the RCA conference he has been working as research director for Corporate Knights, a Toronto based media and research firm specializing in corporate sustainability. Under his direction the research team at Corporate Knights has been systematically identifying and quantifying the impacts of the corporations that are making the products and services the world needs for the sustainability transition. This includes supporting the world-renowned Global 100 ranking of the world’s most sustainable companies, released every year at the Global Economic Forum in Davos. (Notably, for the past two years the companies that have claimed the number one position in that ranking are circular economy companies.)
The Corporate Knights Sustainable Economy Intelligence database has identified over $2.7 trillion in sustainable investment and Ralph will draw on it to illustrate global trends in what he calls “the greatest race” – the race between climate disaster and the solutions that can forestall it.
Prior to joining Corporate Knights, Ralph ran a successful consulting and software business, was the Assistant Coordinator of the Energy Research Group of the United Nations University and the International Development Research Centre, served as Vice President of ICF International (NASDAQ:ICFI), Managing Director of Navigant Consulting, now Guidehouse (NYSE:NCI), and Managing Director of the Trottier Energy Futures Project.
Ralph lives in Cobourg, Ontario with his partner Judy Smith.
Rebecca Schulz
Minister of Environment and Protected Areas
Rebecca Schulz was first elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Calgary-Shaw on April 16, 2019 and was re-elected on May 29, 2023. She was sworn in as Minister of Environment and Protected Areas on June 9, 2023, previously serving as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister of Children’s Services.
A communications professional with a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, Minister Schulz previously worked for the Government of Saskatchewan, as well as the University of Calgary. Minister Schulz is eager to advocate for the types of common-sense policies that will grow Alberta’s economy, protect our beautiful landscapes, and encourage investment and innovation in Alberta.
As a wife and proud mother of 2 young children, Minister Schulz has seen first-hand the challenges that Alberta’s families have faced during the last few years and uses her experiences to connect with and advocate for Albertans on the issues that matter to them.
Richard (Rick) Filiault
Revolution Company
Richard Filiault is a seasoned business leader with over 15 years of experience in the plastics and recycling industries, focusing on sustainability, business growth, and innovation. As Director of Business Development at Revolution Company, Richard is responsible for all post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin sales, helping to drive sustainable solutions across the plastics supply chain.Richard previously served as Senior Account Manager at GE Plastics/ Sabic SF&S, where he was instrumental in managing key accounts and securing multi-million-dollar contracts. His strategic approach to client management and product innovation helped expand GE’s market share and develop new high-margin product lines.In addition to his corporate experience, Richard has led several entrepreneurial ventures. He founded a company that produced polycarbonate sheet and film, introducing high-end coating technologies and expanding into international markets. He also launched a full-service plastic recycling business that focused on reducing landfill waste and developing strategic international partnerships.Richard holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration and Management from Chaminade University.
Richard McHale
City of Austin / Austin Resource Recovery
Richard McHale has worked in the waste management industry for over 31 years and is currently the Director of Austin Resource Recovery. His experience encompasses operations, planning, and policy development.
Presently he is a director and Past President of the Texas Lone Star Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America, Past President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors – Municipal Waste Management Association, a former Advisory Council Member of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality – Municipal Solid Waste Management, and Resource Recovery Advisory Council. He serves on the Solid Waste Advisory Commission for the Capital Area Planning Council of Governments.
Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography & Planning and a Master’s of Applied Geography degree in Resource and Environmental Studies from Texas State University.
Shawayne Dunstan
Shawayne Dunstan is a local author and artist living in Banff, Alberta. He has written 10 poetry books. His artist and brand name is Shaweezy which represents seeing the light in the darkness. He is a graduate of Humber College. October Blue is Shawayne’s 10th addition to his saga. This collection is dedicated to healing, gratitude and being a role model.
Sophie Taillefer
RECYC-QUÉBEC
Sophie is passionate about organic materials and all aspects of waste management. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences from the Université du Québec à Montréal, and has been with RECYC-QUÉBEC since 2003. She takes to heart her role as team manager of organic materials, the municipal sector and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). She has been giving conferences and training courses about waste management for over 20 years.
Tammy Rucker
Revolution Sustainable Solutions
Tammy Rucker is a catalyst for transformative change, boasting over 30 years of influential experience in the chemicals and plastics industry. With a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Virginia Tech, she seamlessly bridges technical expertise with business acumen. Tammy’s career is defined by her ability to drive high-impact change that benefits organizations, clients, and customers alike.
Throughout her journey, Tammy has consistently initiated and executed significant transformations. Her role at GE Plastics saw her leading or contributing to nearly 100 new product projects across diverse market segments. At Avery Dennison, she turned a fledgling printing platform into a thriving business line, becoming the division’s primary value generator.
Tammy’s current role as Vice President of Sustainable Materials at Revolution showcases her commitment to sustainability and innovative problem-solving. She skillfully leverages her skills in product development, management, marketing strategy, and business development to address one of the most pressing global challenges – plastic waste.
Tanya Pacholok
Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley
Tanya Iryna Pacholok (she/her) is the Community Engagement Lead at the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley on traditional Treaty 7 territory. Tanya is a multidisciplinary researcher, artist and community worker with a Master of Arts in Community Engagement from the University of Alberta. Tanya is particularly passionate about intersection of climate justice, gender/sexuality inclusion and socially engaged art in order to explore how we can organize systems and relate differently. She is thrilled to join the 2024 RCA conference and share the work that the Biosphere Institute has been doing in the realms of circular economy, reuse and event waste management.
Tonny Colyn
The Salvation Army, National Recycling Operations
As the President and co-founder of the National Association for Charitable Textile Recycling (NACTR), Tonny is a prominent figure in Canada’s textile waste diversion efforts. Beyond this pivotal role, Tonny also serves as the National Director of Business Development and Sustainability for The Salvation Army Thrift Store National Recycling Operation, the nation’s largest non-profit contributor to textile waste diversion.
Known for their friendly demeanor and unwavering passion, Tonny’s approach to this critical work is as infectious as it is effective. In addition to these leadership roles, Tonny actively participates with various associations, including the National Zero Waste Council as a board member.
Victoria Ross
aGRO Systems Inc.
aGRO’s founder, Victoria Ross, hated seeing her father John working full-time as a rancher but also needing an evening job to keep the farm going (nearly 50% of Canadian farmers face the same problem). aGRO was born from Victoria’s drive to help these sustainable smaller players profit and have better livelihoods (the UN family-run scaled producers as the most environmentally productive class of food production).
Meanwhile, a problem existed within the micro-brewery industry in Calgary: their byproduct (spent grain) was too heavy for disposal using traditional compost or garbage bins and the quick-smelling byproduct could not wait in taprooms for bulk waste companies to come weekly.
Enter the aGRO Systems solution: a waste up-cycling and livestock feeding service provider on a mission to grow, raise, and produce healthy carbon-neutral food and drink and help other agri-producers and agri-processors do the same profitably.
Rather than disposing the spent grain waste into compost or landfills, aGRO makes an affordable livestock feed solution for small-medium scale ranchers. The solution allows for breweries to have affordable waste removal, giving them more floor space and reducing foul odor! aGRO serves 33 brewery type businesses and has had many customers scale up from micro to macro production over the last 5 years thanks to aGRO’s quick system solution.
Victoria Ross started market research for aGRO Systems during her BCOMM at the University of Calgary, and launched business operations shortly after graduating in June 2018. Through Victoria’s continuous efforts (and the team!), aGRO has successfully diverted over 50 million pounds of grain from entering the landfill to be repurposed as nutritional animal feed.
Victoria was one of the first women recognized for SHEInnovates, the Alberta Chapter, by UN Women. Most recently, Victoria has spoken at the 2022 Advancing Women in Agriculture, the 2022 Cultivate: Agriculture Summit with the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, and hosted the 2022 Alberta Beer Awards in Red Deer. She is aGRO System’s leader in managing sales, market research, and bringing the company’s vision to life.
She moves forward into the future with the vision for sustainably-operated farms and ranches within her network to supply aGRO-owned farm stores that sell affordable and quality products directly to consumers. No farm, no person, and no planet going hungry.
Vivek Vyas
Intuitive Robotics
Vivek Vyas is the co-founder of Intuitive AI, where he and Hassan Murad are transforming waste management through artificial intelligence. Born in India, Vivek saw the impact of improper waste disposal on communities overwhelmed by trash. At 23, he co-created Oscar, an AI-powered platform that helps users correctly sort waste in real time, turning confusion at the bin into sustainable action.
Intuitive AI has grown significantly, partnering with leading brands like Pepsi, Amazon Fresh, Meta, Aramark, and Citibank. Oscar is now deployed across five continents in airports, universities, stadiums, and attractions, doubling waste sorting accuracy and driving the shift toward a zero-waste future.
Learn more about Intuitive AI here, or reach out to Vivek at vivek@intuitiverobotics.ca.
