2023 Speakers

Heidi Sanborn

Heidi Sanborn

Producer Responsibility and Product Stewardship
National Stewardship Action Council
Heidi is the founding Director of the National Stewardship Action Council. With over 30 years of experience being a leader ...
Colin West

Colin West

Opening Keynote
Clean Up The Lake
Colin West has 10 years of experience as a SCUBA diver and is a certified PADI Dive Master. With a ...
Marcus Eriksen, Ph.D

Marcus Eriksen, Ph.D

Founder
5 Gyres
Marcus Eriksen received his Ph.D. in Science Education from the University of Southern California in 2003, months before embarking on ...
Keith Abeles

Keith Abeles

Carbon Farming and Planning
Sonoma Resource Conservation District
Keith has been active in agriculture for over thirty years as a producer and advocate of sustainable agriculture. His expertise ...
Ben Schleifer

Ben Schleifer

Creating healthier, environmentally preferable foodware options
Center for Environmental Health
Ben works as the EDC Food Program Coordinator, and works closely with K-12 schools around the country to help them ...
Nicole Tai

Nicole Tai

Building Deconstruction and Materials Recovery
Reuse Alliance
Nicole Tai is the CEO of GreenLynx, a deconstruction contractor and reuse facility based in Santa Rosa, CA. GreenLynx opened ...
Courtney Scott

Courtney Scott

Recycling Solar Panels
Zero Waste Sonoma
Courtney Scott has worked in household hazardous waste for 12 years. She began her career with the San Rafael Fire ...
Whitney Reuling

Whitney Reuling

Local Food. Local Workforce. Local Resilience.
Sonoma Family Meal
Whitney Reuling is a native of Sonoma County, raised in Forestville on a small farm and vineyard. Prior to joining ...
Marie Kneemeyer

Marie Kneemeyer

Public Education Manager
Recology Sonoma Marin
Born and raised in the hills of Nevada County, Marie Kneemeyer came to the bay area to receive her BFA ...
Kelly Conrad

Kelly Conrad

Rescued Food for People in Need
Farm to Pantry
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Kelly Conrad received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration & Marketing with ...
Sloane Pagal

Sloane Pagal

Engaging the Community with Zero Waste Week
Zero Waste Sonoma
Sloane Pagal has been managing zero waste programs with Zero Waste Sonoma for over three years. Notable projects include the ...
Joanne Brasch, PhD

Joanne Brasch, PhD

Textile Recycling
California Product Stewardship Council
Dr. Joanne Brasch holds a PhD in Textile Economics and Environmental Analysis from the University of California, Davis, where she ...
Nicole Kurian

Nicole Kurian

Legislative Director
Californians Against Waste
Nicole graduated in 2018 with a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning at the University of California, ...
Shelley Brown and Alan Siegle

Shelley Brown and Alan Siegle

Zero Waste Practices for Fairs and Festivals
Gravenstein Apple Fair
Alan Siegle Alan has been farming for over 45 years. From 1978 through 2000, Alan was a partner in Bennett ...
Brad Baker, CEO

Brad Baker, CEO

SOMO Village, an internationally recognized, deeply sustainable mixed-use community
SOMO Group, LLC
Mr. Brad Baker currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of SOMO Group (SOMO). SOMO is an investment holding company ...
Cathy Taylor

Cathy Taylor

A Town of Windsor citizen's group addressing climate emergency through local action.
WeAct
Cathy Taylor is a founding member of WeAct, a local citizens’ group dedicated to environmental issues, including combating climate change ...
Dawna Mirante

Dawna Mirante

Owning and Running a Refill Store in Sonoma County
Refill Mercantile, Petaluma, CA
Dawna Mirante is the co-founder of Refill Mercantile, a thoughtfully curated low waste shop and refillery in downtown Petaluma, California ...
Jana Wang

Jana Wang

Owning and Running a Refill Store in Sonoma County
Owner, Refill Madness, Sonoma, CA
Jana Kania Wang is the Co-owner and Chief Refill Officer of Refill Madness in Sonoma, California. Motivated by the need ...
Kim Neal

Kim Neal

Opening and Running a Refill Store in Sonoma County
Owner, SoCo Trading Company, Windsor
After spending 3 years living in the Fiji Islands and witnessing firsthand the devastating effects of single-use plastics in the ...
Leslie Lukacs

Leslie Lukacs

Executive Director
Zero Waste Sonoma
In June 2019, Leslie Lukacs was hired as Executive Director of Zero Waste Sonoma formally known of the Sonoma County ...
Darek Trowbridge

Darek Trowbridge

Sequestering Carbon Using Regenerative Composted Mulch
Soil Carbon Management Company/Old World Winery
Darek Trowbridge is Farmer, Winemaker, Cidermaker, and Owner at Old World Winery, a natural winery and working farm founded in ...
Caren McNamara

Caren McNamara

Bringing Refillable Bottles to California
Conscious Container
Tired of throwing away glass bottles that could be washed and refilled instead of landfilled or recycled, Caren McNamara founded ...
brian bauer

Brian Bauer

Co-Founder and CEO
Resynergi
Brian Bauer, Resynergi Co-Founder, President and CEO. Mr. Bauer graduated from Stanford University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, and ...
Xinci Tan

Xinci Tan

Organics Program Manager
Zero Waste Sonoma
Xinci is the Organics Program Manager for Zero Waste Sonoma, also known as the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency (SCWMA) ...