Join VBSR, The Alchemist, and Vermont business experts and innovators as we explore “Businesses Putting Their Waste to Work” as a part of the VBSR People.Planet.Prosperity. Speaker Series. This in-person event will combine a panel discussion on unique solutions to waste management and their impact on the environment with networking hosted by The Alchemist in Stowe. Built specifically with a commitment to clean water and pollution prevention, The Alchemist Brewery facility is truly a symbol of what is possible when businesses plan for the impact of their waste.

According to The World Bank:

Joel Hartman (he/him) | Operations Manager, The Alchemist

Joel has worked at The Alchemist for 18 years, starting in February of 2004 as a bartender at the original Pub. Over the years, his role has evolved into overseeing operations at both the Waterbury and Stowe breweries. As Operations Manager, one of Joel’s passions has been working on various sustainability projects the Alchemist has implemented over the past 5 years. These include streamlining processes to reduce water use and implementing various multi-stream recycling programs, including a pilot program with the brewery’s malt supplier to create a recycling stream for poly bags. Additionally, Joel has worked on developing a program of side-streaming their high strength waste with Grow Compost, implemented the brewery’s new carbon capture system, and most recently, worked to update their packaging systems to adopt a new plant based can-topper for 4-packs to further reduce our reliance on plastic.

Harrison Kahn (he/him) | VP Marketing, Caledonia Spirits, Distiller of Barr Hill Gin

Harrison (Harry) Kahn serves as head of marketing for Barr Hill Gin, a distillery dedicated to reconnecting cocktail culture to agriculture. Harry has also held leadership roles at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Magic Hat Brewing Company, Cord Blood Registry and National Geographic Student Expeditions, where he established new product lines in China, India, and Latin America. Harry is a graduate of Middlebury College, where he studied Chinese, and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, where he earned an MBA. Harry is the proud spouse of Elisabeth Kahn, the 2020 Vermont Teacher of the Year, and father of two elementary school age children, Iris and Asher.

Marina McCoy (she/her) | Waste Free Earth

Kelsey McWilliams (she/her) | Circular Systems Lead, wasted*

Kelsey McWilliams has been working in and around toilets for the past 7 years, fueled by a desire to bring innovation, design, sustainability, and dignity to a forgotten place – the bathroom. Having implemented circular sanitation systems on three continents, Kelsey is committed to creating local ecosystems that value the recycling of human waste. Kelsey runs her own consultancy, Point of Shift, designing beautiful, circular sanitation systems. Additionally, she is the Circular Systems Lead at a Vermont-based startup called wasted*. wasted* is reimagining the portable bathroom experience to make it cleaner, more comfortable, and better for the planet. wasted*, unlike traditional portable toilet companies, is a circular sanitation ecosystem collecting human waste and converting it into valuable fertilizer.

Eliza Leeper (she/her) | Mission & Customer Manager, Vermont Creamery

Eliza Leeper is Vermont Creamery’s Mission & Customer Manager. A member of the VC Leadership Team, she is involved in all facets of the business operations.  She oversees the company’s sustainable business strategy, B Corp certification, and community initiatives. In addition, she manages customer logistics and works closely with the Vermont Creamery sales team to deliver on growth through new business development. She is a member of the VBSR Education & Events Committee as well as the Organizing Team for the VBSR B Corp Impact Circle.  Eliza lives in Montpelier with her husband and two daughters, and enjoys outdoor adventures, gardening and live music.

Meet Our Moderator

Erika Dunyak (she/her) | Adjunct Faculty at Vermont Law & Graduate School |LL.M Agricultural and Food Law, University of Arkansas School of Law | JD, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, 2017 | BA, University of Dayton, 2014

Erika Dunyak is an experienced food and agricultural policy attorney and advocate. Currently, Erika works with the team at Jason Wiener, p.c., a public benefit law firm working predominantly with cooperative clients. Erika provides transactional and general corporate law support to a range of cooperative clients including urban farms and restaurants, among others. In the summer of 2020, she completed a two-year fellowship with the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC). While at FLPC, Erika directed a range of projects including the Farm Bill Law Enterprise, food waste reduction policy advocacy, and food insecurity mitigation. In her last months at FLPC, Erika led the team’s SNAP advocacy in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to joining the team at FLPC, Erika earned her LL.M. in Agricultural and Food Law from the University of Arkansas School of Law. She earned her B.A. from the University of Dayton in 2014 and J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2017.

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