Vanessa is a Product Development Chemist in the Household, Industrial, and Institutional Cleaning group at Stepan. Her background includes working with business management and manufacturing at Videojet, Danaher to formulate new inks to meet industry requirements and expand the company’s portfolio. She developed methods to evaluate experimental formulations and is a co-inventor of a thermal inkjet ink for cold applications – the first of its kind in the industry. At Stepan, she collaborates with customers to develop creative methods and formulations to meet their product performance and testing needs and leads customer communications. She utilizes Design of Experiments to build libraries of data models for surfactant systems, evaluate new molecules in hard surface cleaners, and to generate IP. She has contributed significantly to the HI&I formulation portfolio by developing highly concentrated formulations for hard surface cleaning.
Melanie Vrabel Adams has been with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency since 2006, where she currently serves as lead chemist & team lead for the Safer Choice Program Branch. In this role, Melanie works with major companies to develop products that meet the program’s stringent standards. Melanie works with a broad range of stakeholders – including science and policy professionals, other government agencies, product manufacturers, chemical suppliers, retailers, and environmental & health advocacy groups – to improve the human health and environmental profiles of chemical-based products. She led the development of the Safer Chemical Ingredient List of substances that meet Safer Choice criteria.
Melanie grew up near Pittsburgh and earned her B.S. from Juniata College, where she studied Chemistry and Art History. She earned a graduate degree from Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied Green Chemistry under Terry Collins.
Brennan Georgianni is the Director of State Government Affairs at the American Cleaning Institute. He works with government affairs professionals at member companies to develop policies that he promotes in state capitals. His work encompasses managing state lobbyists, evaluating legislation, and testifying in front of legislators in all fifty states. Priority areas of emphasis range from specific chemical management issues to broader packaging policy.
He has over 10 years of D.C. professional experience working with the Plastics Industry Association and in other Congressional and fundraising capacities.
Mr. Georgianni earned his B.A. in Political Science from Auburn University (Auburn, AL) and his Master of Public Policy degree from George Mason University (Fairfax, VA). He resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife and their adopted dog. If he is not finding new spots to run or bike through in D.C., he is camping in Shenandoah National Park or thinking of a beach vacation.
Laura graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara with a BS in Chemical Engineering. She has strong background in research and development. Prior to joining Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps in 2015, she worked as an R&D scientist at a CPG brand in the Bay Area where she gained experience in product innovation by supporting projects from the pilot phase to manufacturing. At Dr. Bronner’s she started her role conducting sustainability data analysis, root cause investigations for quality issues, product testing, claims substantiation, and technical services. As the R&D Manager at Dr. Bronner's, Laura collaborates closely with cross-functional teams such as sales, marketing, quality, production, and operations to develop and bring innovative products to market, while ensuring the highest level of product quality and safety. Her technical expertise, strategic approach, and grit have enabled her to drive innovation for Dr. Bronner's.
Bio coming soon!
Bio coming soon!
About IFF
At IFF (NYSE: IFF), an industry leader in food, beverage, health, biosciences and sensorial experiences, science and creativity meet to create essential solutions for a better world – from global icons to unexpected innovations and experiences. With the beauty of art and the precision of science, we are an international collective of thinkers who partners with customers to bring scents, tastes, experiences, ingredients and solutions for products the world craves. Together, we will do more good for people and planet. Learn more at iff.com, Twitter , Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
About IFF’s Health & Biosciences division
Inspired by nature and distinguished by its world-class bioscience and microbiome capabilities, IFF’s Health & Biosciences division is a leading innovation partner for customers across a broad range of consumer product, industrial and agricultural sectors. IFF’s Health & Biosciences division works closely with our customers to enhance products – and their processes – to deliver safer, healthier and more sustainable solutions.
Arianna is a Global Market Segment Leader at IFF Health & Biosciences in Wilmington, DE. In her current role, she leads innovation and new product development projects within the Home and Personal Care Business. Previously, she was a Commercial Leader in IFF’s Health business where she led the Women’s Health platform and new product development projects with probiotics.
In addition to Arianna’s role at IFF, she is the global co-leader of NextGen, IFF’s employee resource group for early career professionals in the first 12 years of their first career.
Within ACI, she is a member of the Future Leaders Program as well as Microbial-Based Cleaning Product Task Force.
She holds a MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Indiana University.
Hal is the Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & Policy at Reckitt after serving as Senior Director of Regulatory and Government Affairs and Director of Regulatory and Government Affairs in North America for over 16 years. He spent 7 years at BF Goodrich developing and leveraging innovative polymers and technology to improve existing applications and to allow entry into new markets as their Technical Service & Application Development Group Leader. Beyond this, Hal has spent time at Procter & Gamble and Noveon in R&D and Product Development, and he graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University.
Bio coming soon!
Andras has been working at Evonik (formerly Degussa) for 14 years in Richmond, Virginia in new product development and application in oleochemicals and organomodified silicones supporting home- fabric- car care and I&I.
Prior to his current employment he held various academic and industrial positions at the University of Akron, OH, at the Central Research Institute for Chemistry of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and at Capital Chemical Co. in OH.
He holds a Masters degree in chemical engineering a Doctorate degree in polymer chemistry and a Ph.D. in macromolecular science.
Beyond work and family Andras tries to find time for his hobbies which includes landscaping, baking and running.
Steve is VP of Business Development at NXTLEVVEL Biochem - a commercial scale manufacturer of next generation biomass derived chemicals, with world leading technology in bio-solvents based on levulinic acid. Steve has been involved in the specialty chemicals industry for over 30 years. During his career he has held leadership positions in Business Management, Technology Management, International Sales Development, Application Engineering, and Product Development.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, and a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from Wichita State University.
Bio coming soon!
