CO-FOUNDER

Scott has dedicated his career to recovering value from waste. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, concentration in Polymer Processing, and minor in Environmental Engineering in 1995. After more than a decade in the chemical industry, Scott shifted careers to focus on recovering value from complex waste streams at MBA Polymers, Agilyx, and Titus MRF Services, where his roles included operations management, process development, waste plastics research, and business development. Scott previously served on the board of Oregon Green Schools, a non-profit dedicated to energizing and engaging students through student-driven activities that advance their understanding and ownership of sustainability. Currently he serves on the Technical Advisory Board for BOTTLE, a U.S. Department of Energy multi-organization consortium focused on developing new chemical upcycling strategies for today's plastics and redesigning tomorrow's plastics to be recyclable-by-design.

STORYTELLER

Max is a dyslexic filmmaker and painter who found his inspiration on the trails. Working for brands like Salomon, GoPro, and Patagonia, he traveled around the globe, but is excited to return home to help tell the stories of Alaska’s complex and wonderful communities.

CO-FOUNDER

Andy has dedicated his career to the conservation of Alaska’s natural resources. Originally from the Little Miami watershed of Ohio, he earned a bachelor of science from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a USCG Master’s License for vessels up to 200 tons, and served two tours in the Coast Guard. He received an honorable discharge in 2005, founded the nonprofit Island Trails Network in 2006 and launched an effort to remove marine debris from Kodiak archipelago that continues to this day. From 2014-2016 he oversaw the Japan Tsunami Marine Debris cleanup effort on Kayak island, a large scale clean-up which netted over 220 tons of marine debris from one uninhabited beach. Andy lives year-round in Kodiak where he co-owns and operates the research vessels Steadfast and Island C.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY EXPERT

Nina Bellucci Butler is the CEO of Stina Inc., a mission-based research and information technology firm, striving to harmonize human behavior with the natural world. Her team has developed a suite of tools (e.g., www.CircularityInAction.com) to support more sustainable choices in resource management. Stina’s information management system, relationships, and understanding of the plastics recycling industry landscape have made it the trusted organization to deliver the annual plastic recycling study for the US and Canada for more than 10 years.

Nina believes in delivering unbiased guidance in navigating the role plastics play in the movement towards circular supply chains, valuing carbon, and reducing GHG emissions, which is why she was invited to testify before the U.S. Congressional Hearing on Challenges Facing Recycling, recognized by WWF for International Women’s Day: Women Leading the Plastic Revolution, served as a subject matter expert for XPrize, participated in a panel at the Nat Geo Circular Economy Forum, and presented to the OPEC Secretariat during the 3rd Workshop on Energy & Information Technology Energy, and the World Circular Economy Forum. Her team also leads multi-stakeholder initiatives; the latest resulted in a “Roadmap to Plastic Recyclability”. Nina has volunteered on several expeditions including the Ocean Plastic Leadership Summit in the North Atlantic Gyre as well as the Ocean Plastic Recovery Project: Katmai Clean Up.

POLYMER SCIENTIST

Dr. Kat Knauer is a polymer scientist who has dedicated her scientific career to solving the plastic waste problem. Her research efforts focused on innovative recycling technologies and ocean plastic solutions at both BASF and Novoloop.

Recently, Dr. Knauer joined the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics our of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) Consortium where she is developing sustainable technologies to chemically upcycle today’s existing plastic waste streams and develop new plastics for the future that are recyclable by design.

GLOBAL STRATEGY & INNOVATION CONSULTANT

Katie Dreke is Founder and CSO of DRKE, a global strategy collective based in Portland, Oregon. Her work sits at the crossroads of brand, systems-thinking, digital transformation and storytelling and is focused on designing emotionally meaningful and financially powerful experiences for human beings and planet Earth. Over the past 25+ years Katie has guided all flavor and manner of traditional and experimental work for the world’s most influential brands.

Her experience is broad and intersectional which enables her to cross pollinate insights and innovations across regions, sectors and consumer groups while leveraging deep expertise in: Global Brand Strategy, Digital Experience Design, DTC Business Models, Membership, Consumer Insight, Product Innovation, Circular Economies, and the Modern Integrated Marketplace.

-She translates future uncertainty into present day actions.

-She reduces blindspots, and illuminates new white spaces.

-She stitches together formerly disparate aspects of the Product & Brand expression into a single unified whole.

Katie believes that brands and businesses should be future focused, actively participating in the positive progression of culture and society, and applying ethical planet-centered design towards the solving of meaningful problems.

Having lived and worked in America, The Netherlands, Australia and Japan, Katie brings an instinctively international and culturally nuanced perspective to every conversation and opportunity.

As a Seattle native, born and raised under PNW cloud cover and nature's most breathtaking vistas, beaches and mountains, Katie is a fierce advocate and activist on behalf of wild spaces, the natural world, and conscious business innovation.