Speaker Biographies

Kris Barberg (Session V)
Kris Barberg is the Executive Director and co-owner of EcoSet Consulting in Los Angeles. Kris joined forces with EcoSet in 2009 after a decade of freelance work on TV commercials and films, and observing the environmental impacts behind the scenes. Striving for Zero Waste sets and marketing events, EcoSet and their clients have been setting new standards by implementing waste reduction strategies and diverting discarded materials through recycling and organics collection. EcoSet leverages the positive social impact of the production process by recirculating food, wardrobe, props, set dressing, construction materials and reusable creative elements to non-profits, schools and artists in the communities where productions and events take place. Kris and her team have provided services in more than a dozen North American cities since 2009.

Diane Banchero (Session II)

Keith Bergthold (Session VI)
Keith Bergthold has been the Executive Director at Fresno Metro Ministry since February 2014. Prior to joining Metro, Keith spent the previous seven years as the City of Fresno’s Assistant Director of Planning, leading the team developing the Fresno 2035 General Plan Update. Concurrent with his City and Fresno Metro Ministry employment, Keith serves as the volunteer CEO of the Regenerate California Innovation (RCI), a San Joaquin Valley nonprofit involved in its 13th year of a workforce development partnership with the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, and Kings Counties Central Labor Council, and ProPath, Inc., a private company specializing in workforce and employment preparation services. RCI began its community work in 2001, engaging in congregation-based community organizing with PICO and helped launch Faith In Community, a network of congregations advocating for justice and equity in Fresno County. RCI has also been involved in affordable housing and economic development initiatives in rural areas of the San Joaquin Valley.

Fresno Metro Ministry founded in 1970, is a 45 year old Fresno-based 501c3 community benefit organization that has evolved to become a multi-faith and multi-cultural organization working across all identities and boundaries to find effective ways to increase the environmental, social, and economic health of our city and region. Fresno Metro Ministry is committed to the theory and practice of Asset-Based Community Development for building diverse partnerships for community well-being through its three primary program areas: cross-sector community leadership and innovation, community food systems, and resilient communities. Metro recently completed a new strategic direction process, and has launched several new partnership projects such as the Better Blackstone Association and Food to Share as collaborative pathways for achieving a mission-vision of ‘Learning, Connecting, and Engaging to Achieve Healthy People and Healthy Places in Fresno and across the San Joaquin Valley.’

Keith has completed graduate course studies in Urban and Regional Planning and holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Behavior. Keith can be reached at keith@fresnometmin.org or 559-485-1416 ext 101, or 559-250-1902.

Heather Carpenter (Session V)
Heather Carpenter is one of the founders and partner of A&J Industrial and Landfill Dzine. Mrs. Carpenter graduated National University (2002) with a bachelor degree in business. She has worked in the Recycling / Trash industry for the past 12 years. She has held outside sales positions with Waste Management, Smurfit Stone & Recycling, as well as Berg Mill Inc.
Heather has helped her clients with making their waste stream more efficient. Her experience with recycling began in 2005. Heather has experience within the recycling industry includes plastic identification, factory management, and developing recycling contracts.
In 2007 Heather’s husband Joshua and her founded A&J Industrial in central California, which started out as a brokerage company that specialized in agricultural and manufacturing recycling.In 2013 Heather and Joshua founded Landfill Dzine in central California. Landfill Dzine diverts used lay flat irrigation hose from landfills and turns it to fashionable products.

Joshua Carpenter (Session V)
Joshua Carpenter is one of the founders and partner of A&J Industrial and Landfill Dzine. Joshua graduated National University (2002) with a bachelor degree in finance. Mr. Carpenter also owns a financial planning practice in Fresno Ca., where he specializes in corporate retirement plans, as well developing employee retirement education programs.
Joshua currently sits on the finance committee for Reading and Beyond, which is a nonprofit that helps children, kindergarten through high school improve their reading skills.
In 2007 Joshua’s and his wife Heather founded A&J Industrial in central California, which started out as a brokerage company that specialized in agricultural and manufacturing recycling.
In 2013 Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter founded Landfill Dzine in central California. Landfill Dzine diverts used lay flat irrigation hose from landfills and turns it to fashionable products.

Maureen Hart (Session III: Peer Share)
Maureen Hart has been working in Recycling, Energy, and the Community Based Economy since1980, first in Michigan and then in California. Presently she is working with Redwood Regional Economic Development Corporation on the Manufacturer’s Network Project, the winner of the very competitive PG&E Economic Vitality Grant (2013). She completed a Master Certificate in Sustainable Supply Chain Management at the University of San Francisco. Hart has worked for corporations, non-profits, government, small business, and now with them as a consultant. As a contractor/staff, she was interim Executive Director and Program Manager at the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (6 years). She is the Zone Administrator with the North Coast Recycling Market Development Zone/CalRecycle (2000 to present). She has worked with manufacturers on increasing their energy efficiency and using recycled materials in their production. Hart was General Manager and Corporate Manager of large recycling centers and collection programs in San Francisco, marketing over 120,000 tons/yr. of recyclables to domestic and export markets (now Recology) and 120 employees. She worked with towns in Northern California facilitating their transition plan from a logging based economy (Center for Environmental Economic Development) and successfully worked with a theater school expansion capital campaign, grant writing and business planning (Dell Arte). Hart managed an Appropriate Technology Center in East Lansing for 5 years that still exists today, 35 years later (now Michigan Energy Options).

Zoe Heller (Session VI)
Zoe Heller manages the Zero Waste section at the US Environmental Protection Agency, Pacific Southwest Region. The Region serves Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands, and 148 federally recognized tribes. Zoe is responsible for the Region’s Sustainable Materials Management program which includes Sustainable Food Management, a national effort that seeks to reduce wasted food and its associated environmental impacts over the entire lifecycle. Prior to joining the Zero Waste section, Zoe served as Special Assistant to the Regional Administrator and has also worked in the Region’s Environmental Justice program.

Emily Jarrett (Session II)

Brennen Jensen (Session I)
Brennen Jensen joined Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) as the California Program Manager for the CA Carpet Stewardship program in 2013. This first of its kind Extended Producer Responsibility program is working to create new opportunities for recycling and diverting post-consumer carpet in California. Since 2011, CARE has served as the legislatively designated Carpet Stewardship Organization (CSO) managing the Program with oversight from CalRecycle. To date, the Program has recycled 170 million pounds of post-consumer carpet, resulting in an estimated greenhouse gas emissions reduction of over 167,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e). The Program is currently working to increase carpet recycling and recycled product infrastructure capacity, expand collection access for consumers, retailers and contractor/installers, and engage stakeholders including state and local governments to build recycled product demand. Brennen has a BS in Environmental Science Technology and a BA in Spanish from Humboldt State University, and is part of the first graduating class earning a Master’s of Science in Biomimicry from Arizona State University and the Biomimicry Institute. A background in government, private and non-profit organizations, Brennen has cooperative facilitative approach that seeks to find creative solutions to complex problems, while expanding localized opportunities for waste, energy and emissions reduction throughout California and beyond.

Daniel Kietzer (Session V)
Daniel has spent the last six years with the US Business Council for Sustainable Development. He helps design, launch and manage Materials Marketplace projects in Austin, Detroit, Memphis, San Diego, and the nationwide US Materials Marketplace. Daniel also helped launch the Houston Energy Efficiency in Buildings Project, and currently serves on the Communications Committee. His role supports the development of ambitious and practical strategies for reducing building energy consumption by 30% or more in the Houston market. Other professional interests include: social entrepreneurship, with special emphasis on new business opportunities that utilize by-product and waste materials; engaging meeting design and facilitation; team building; and communications and marketing.

Christopher Ladd (Session II)
Chris leads investment due diligence as well as administrative, financial, and risk management. Prior to joining the Closed Loop Fund, he led a Strategy and Finance team dedicated to providing support to Walmart Sustainability. While at Walmart, Chris worked on Waste, Transportation, and Energy projects, including several that focused on increasing Walmart’s recycling rate and closing commodity loops. Before Walmart, Chris worked in TPG Capital’s Ops group, where he provided post-acquisition execution and support and KSL Capital on the buy-side. Chris received his MBA from University of Texas At Austin and his undergraduate in Economics from Cornell University.

James Shimp (Session II)
James Shimp is a graduate of Chico State University (2005) and University College London (2007). Mr. Shimp’s academic focus – imaging technology in forensic and bio-archaeological statistical analysis – translated into a tangentially related career in the financial sector. He is currently an analyst with the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA), working primarily with the Sales and Use Tax Exclusion Program (STE).

Mike Tinney (Session I)
Mike Tinney is a business development consultant specializing in helping sustainable products companies grow profitably. Mike has worked on three TBAP consulting teams focusing on outreach to State and local agencies. Prior projects include providing business development assistance to companies receiving grants from the California Energy Commission PIER Program, as well as RMDZ loan recipients.
Currently he works under contract to Carpet America Recovery Effort, CARE, helping develop products and markets for recycled carpet material.
His background includes executive level positions with International companies in the construction products business. He founded Tinney Associates in 1991.

Maria Yap
Maria Yap is the founder of Peninsula Food Runners, a food rescue non-profit organization that services San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Maria has been in the food recovery business for 8 years.
Maria is a graduate of the University of Arizona, majoring in Food Service
Management and minoring in Nutrition. She is also a professional chef and
a graduate of Tante Marie Culinary School. For 10 years, Maria was a
Pharmaceutical Executive Marketing Representative with Glaxo Smith Kline in San
Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, managing terrritories over two million dollars
in sales.
Maria Yap, with the collaboration of husband Tod Hing, introduced technology to the food
recovery business in mid 2013. Tod, who is a Computer Consultant for Stanford
University, developed the Chow Match App which is presently being used in parts
of California and Maryland.
Today, the Chow Match App manages nearly 30,000 meal deliveries a week with almost 300
volunteers. The Chow Match App plans to expand to 5 additional states in 2016. As of to date, almost a
million meals have been provided back into the communities, over 1,170,340 Lbs
of food from the landfills which is equivalent to reducing 920,000 lbs of C02
from the environment.