BIO-BASED LIVE AMERICAS AGENDA

DAY ONE

C-Suite Fireside Chats: The potential for Bio-Based in the North America

Bio-Based World News Editor Luke Upton talks exclusively with 3 C-level leaders on the current state of play for bio-based developments. Covering issues from creating platforms and intermediates cost-effectively to finding partners, creating added value and accelerating adoption, these interviews give you unique access to thought leaders in an intimate setting.

• Overview of opportunities for bio-based in the USA.
• Innovations in technology: Cost effective bio-chemistry.
• Commercialisation and adoption

Chairman: Luke Upton, Editor, Bio-Based World News

Ask the leaders: Your chance to interact with our C level panel and pose your questions on our interactive Q&A system. Delegates can vote for their favourite questions and get unparelled industry insight. 

• Clarisse Doucet, VP Strategy and Research, Total Fluides
• Alejandra Noren, Head of New Ventures, Neste
• Dr. Lee Ellen Drechsler, Director, Corporate Research and Open Innovation, Procter & Gamble
• Kevin Craig, Program Manager, Bioenergy Technologies Office, US Department of Energy
• Doug Mckalip, Senior Advisor Biotechnology, USDA

PROCESS & TECHNOLOGY

MARKET SECTOR DEMAND

Part 1: Bio-Based Feedstock and Process Flows

At the cornerstone of the bio-economy is bio-based feedstock (biomass, beefstock and cellulosic materials).  The availability and price volatility remain key elements in the economic equation.  The role of biorefinery is also key to ensure sustainable demand.

• How can the agriculture economy be more productive?
• How can the efficient use of biomass/waste products be improved?
• Collaboration: from feedstock to product

Chair: Murray Mclaughlin, Executive Director, Bioindustrial Innovation Centre Canada

Moving Towards A Circular Economy: Green Success Stories.  Consumers are becoming more aware of sustainability and government initiatives are increasing for brands and retailers looking to adopt greener processes.  This session provides an overview of how brands are responding to these changes.  What role does sustainability play in the circular economy and what does this mean for a more Bio-based future?

• Turning science into a successful marketing strategy
• The advantages of sustainable strategies
• What does this mean for a bio-based future?

Developing technology from non food biomass.

Kevin Craig, Program Manager, Bioenergy Technologies Office, US Department of Energy

Closing the loop: Encouraging a more circular economy.                                                  

Michael Waas, Global Vice President of Business Development & Client Services, Terracycle

The role of agricultural technology and bio-based.  

Creating a USP with Bio-Based.

Mikhail Davis, Director Restorative Enterprise, Interface

Utilising Biomass for green chemistry and sustainable fuels. 

Virginia Klausmeier, Founder & CEO, Sylvatex

Supporting Sustainable Aquaculture with Biotechnology.

Larry Feinberg, CEO & Co-Founder, KnipBio

From Land to Brand: Gaining Market Access for Environmentally Preferable Materials.

Jo Anne Shatkin, President, Vireo Advisors

Beginning the bio-based journey: The tide story.

Todd Cline, Section Head, Research & Development, Procter & Gamble Global Fabric Care

Panel: Raw Materials for Chemicals: Ensuring Sustainable Supply and Efficient Use.

• Virginia Klausmeier, Founder & CEO, Sylvatex
• Jo Anne Shatkin, President, Vireo Advisors
• James Iademarco, President, Strategic Avalanche LLC
• Kevin Craig, Program Manager, Bioenergy Technologies Office, US Department of Energy
• John Edward Hamer, Managing Director, Monsanto Growth Ventures

• Larry Feinberg, CEO & Co-Founder, KnipBio
• Mikhail Davis, Director Restorative Enterprise, Interface
• Michael Waas, Global Vice President of Business Development & Client Services, Terracycle
• Nick Aster, Founder, Triple Pundit
• Todd Cline, Section Head, Research & Development, Procter & Gamble Global Fabric Care
• Tracey Long, Senior Communications Manager, Procter & Gamble North America Fabric Care 

PART 2: Process efficiency and innovation

For any company producing bio-based materials/products, process efficiency remains key to being cost competitive and sustainable. Disruptive process innovation, developing a myriad of innovative partnerships and reducing cost for production is critical. Lingocellulosic: from pilot to flagship.

• Process innovation: the role of tech, enzymes & catalsyts
• Producing polymers (HMF, PEF, PET), aromatics & polyacrylates at commercial scale

Chair: Murray Mclaughlin, Executive Director, Bioindustrial Innovation Centre Canada

Is scientific speak strangling sustainability?

Undoubtedly there is a move towards sustainable brands.  Chemistry has the potential to be ‘cool’ and change the world for the better. The challenge is how to market this without strangling the sustainable message with science.  It is about value creation not merely the material being used.

• How to market bio-based/green? Understanding bio-based.
• Do stated values impact consumer purchasing?
• Creating a human connection with green products

Chair: Nick Aster, Founder, Triple Pundit

Developing innovation for bio-based chemicals.

Communicating at a Consumer Level.

Engineering evolution to produce bio-based chemicals.

Consumers and Greenwashing: Hope & Hype.

Chris Mckillop, VP Communications & Government Relations, Club Coffee 

Enzyme Technology as key factor for the market success of bioprocessed products.

Marc Struhalla, CEO & MD, C-Lecta

Impacting brand value and consumer decisions.

Bio-based innovations to enhance performance.

Turning technical benefits into commercial propositions.

Victor Oh, Research Associate, Lux Research

Does biobased represent a disruptive technology? Innovative conversion processes.

Joseph A Rollin, ARPA-E Fellow, US Department of Energy

Panel: Avoiding Science Speak: The Advantages of Bio-Based for the Consumer.

• Nick Aster, Founder, Triple Pundit
• Chris Mckillop, VP Communications & Government Relations, Club Coffee 
• Jonah Sachs, Co-Founder, Chief Storytelling Officer, Free Range Studios
• Kristen Stutz, Brand Manager, Procter &
  Gamble

• Victor Oh, Research Associate, Lux Research

Panel: Innovations in Biotechnology to Develop New Solutions.

• Tom Boussie, Co Founder & VP Corporate Development, Rennovia
• Jay Konieczka, Co-Founder & COO, Enevolv
• Marc Struhalla, CEO & MD C-Lecta
• Gurminder Minhas, Managing Director, Performance Biofilaments inc
• Joe Jankowski, Commercial Manager, North America, Braskem
• Joseph A Rollin, ARPA-E Fellow, US Department of Energy

Market Sector Roundtables. 

The roundtable sessions promote niche and open discussion amongst delegates. Each tables in the conference room will have a separate market sector focus.

Delegates sit with the sector they wish to discuss. Each table leader will lead 40 minutes of discussion on this topic with fellow members, providing a perfect networking and learning opportunity.

Roundtable Feedback.
Each table leader will feedback to the whole group on their key conclusions from the session.

• Andy Shafer, Founder, Shafer’s innovation and business building services
• John May, Managing Director, Stern Borthers
• Adam Malofsky, Managing Partner, Elemence
• Scott Porter, CEO, NV Earth

DAY TWO

SUSTAINABLE BRANDS & RETAILERS PANEL

Demand for brands to create a sustainable purpose alongside continued profitability concerns is growing, so how can brands and retailers contribute to the circular economy?  How are retailers approaching sustainability and advanced materials to enahnce the triple bottom line (financial, social and environmental) and use sustainability led innovation to drive increased profitability.  This panel gives some insight into the thoughts of leading US brands and retailers.

→ Sustainable initiatives: How to communicate them.
→ The triple bottom line: financial, social and environmental.
→ Creating value with sustainability.

Chair: Corinne Young, CEO, Re:Chem

• Joseph Zwillinger, Co-Founder, Allbirds
• Jonah Sachs, Co-Founder, Chief Storytelling Officer, Free Range Studios
• Cynthia Phillips, Advisor, Strategic Planning, Bioserie
• Corinne Young, CEO, Re:Chem
• Mikhail Davis, Director Restorative Enterprise, Interface
• Kaj Johnson, Senior Director, Product Development, Ecover/Method

PROCESS & TECHNOLOGY

MARKET SECTOR DEMAND

Part 3: Molecules and Materials: Platforms, Intermediates & Building Blocks.

Disruptive technology, evolution of biomass used and industrial transformation has created new platforms and intermediates for bio-based products.  How can these innovations be used to make these building blocks cheaper and how can the benefits be communicated?  This session looks at how the values of the building blocks can be better understood.

• Understanding demand for building blocks
• Communicating value: there is no green premium
• Knowing your market

Adoption Challenges: Defining the Advantages of Bio-Based. Growth of bio products continues but there remains numerous question marks and risks around adoption.  For many, it still seems to be the case that for the most part, there is no premium itself for being bio-based, so how can additional value be generated and what trade offs need to be considered when adopting a new chemical or product into your portfolio?

• Challenges of changing processes or products in a multi-layered business
• Considerations when looking at bio-based alternatives
• Extracting value from bio-based products

Creating Affordable Building Blocks for Bio-Based Solutions.

The value of bio-based: Recycling carbon to feed the world.

Lisa Dyson, CEO, Kiverdi

Value creation: Why is this better than petrochemical based solutions?

Molly Morse, CEO, Mango Materials & Anne Schauer-Gimenez, VP Methane Marketing, Mango Materials

Creating Value Through Bio-Based Adoption.

Cynthia Phillips, Advisor, Strategic Planning, Bioserie

Knowing Your Market: What need are you serving?

Darcy Prather, President, Kalion Inc

Overcoming Product Adoption Challenges.

Mark Geerts, CEO, Paperfoam

Developing Cost Competitive Chemicals.

Tom Boussie, Co Founder & VP Corporate Development, Rennovia

Defining the advantages of Bio-Based for the consumer

Panel: Green Premium? What is the Value of My Product?

• Molly Morse, CEO, Mango Materials
• Darcy Prather, President, Kalion Inc
• David Sudolsky, Founder, President & CEO, Anellotech
• Tom Boussie, Co Founder & VP Corporate Development, Rennovia
• Anne Schauer-Gimenez, VP Methane Marketing, Mango Materials

Panel: Creating a Shift to More Sustainable Product Lines.

• Cynthia Phillips, Advisor, Strategic Planning,Bioserie
• Adam Malofsky, Managing Partner, Elemence
• Mark Geerts, CEO, Paperfoam
• Joseph Zwillinger, Co-Founder, Allbirds
• Guillaume Daoulas, Product Manager, Ynsect

Part 4: Shark Tank Session: Investment and Scale-Up. 

To reach commercial scale, generating investment is key.  Capital costs are high and investment is required to reach the end goal.  Aside from partnerships and joint ventures, how can companies aquire the necessary funding?

After receiving an overview of investment criteria, this session invites SME’s to provide an overview of their technology and business model to investors.

• Successfully attracting investors for new projects
• Negotiating terms of investment and communicating effectively
• Long-term partnerships to provide the foundation for success

Generating Value: A Look at Sustainable Metrics.

Both internal and external stakeholders have changing perceptions of value.  What KPI and metrics can be used to highlight these changing practices?  Bio-based product growth analysis, cost savings through employee engagement, environmental impact reduction and marketing spend around sustainability are just some new metrics that have been brought in to reflect changing brand values.

• Embedding sustainability: shifting perceptions of value.
• Measuring bio-based innovation: how do you demonstrate value to the brand?
• Alligning customer, environmental and societal demands with business success

Overview:  A look at investment criteria

Rob van der Meij, Investment Manager, Capricorn Venture Partners

Boilife renewable fluides for outstanding performance

Clarisse Doucet, VP Strategy and Research, Total Fluides

1. Sonia Travaglini, PHD Mechanical Engineering, University of California, MycoWorks
2. Deepak Duger, President, Visolis
3. Zachary Son, CEO, Synvitrobio 

Can BioBased Products enhance performance metrics?

Scott Porter, CEO, NV Earth

Defining the advantages of Bio-Based Products.

Guillaume Daoulas, Product Manager, Ynsect

Creating value in the ecosystem: From land to brand.

Atul Bali, CEO, Competitive Green Technologies

Panel:

• Joel A. Stone, President, ConVergInce Advisers
• Rob van der Meij, Investment Manager, Capricorn Venture Partners
• Andy Shafer, Founder, Shafer’s innovation and business building services
• Mark J Riedy, Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
• Adrian Horotan, General Partner, Safer Made
• John May, Managing Director, Stern Borthers

Panel: Developing Business Models for Sustainability.

• Scott Porter, CEO, NV Earth
• Guillaume Daoulas, Product Manager, Ynsect
• Corinne Young, CEO, Re:Chem
• Clarisse Doucet, VP Strategy and Research, Total Fluides
• Atul Bali, CEO, Competitive Green Technologies

BIO-BASED WORLD NEWS AWARDS

Bio-Based World News Awards.

Bio-Based World News is your essential guide to the latest news and business developments in the rapidly growing bio-based industry. The news portal features dedicated daily content, features, exclusive interviews, E-books and special publications to ensure lively interaction and engaged practical exchanges all produced by our in house editorial team. The awards honour key innovations making breakthroughs and transforming our industry.