Thoman is the founder and managing director of the Compost Manufacturing Alliance, a group that works with compost facilities throughout North America to certify compostables via lab and field science. Thoman brings with her more than 30 years of leadership in the area, with 12 years working on the senior leadership team at Cedar Grove Composting in Seattle. The CMA works to enhance composting capacity and the development of appropriate food service packaging options to increase food waste diversion in composting, minimize contamination, and create respectful and mutually beneficial business partnerships between compost manufacturers and compostable product manufacturers.

Yepsen oversees the nonprofit organization advocating for the value of compostable products in diverting organic waste to composting. Yepsen is passionate about systems-based solutions, specifically the synergy in solving for food waste and packaging at the same time — to address climate change, ecosystem impacts, and regenerative agriculture. He has served on the Board of USCC, is an advisor to several sustainable packaging groups, and was an editor and writer at BioCycle magazine.

Kevin Smartt has served as CEO of Kwik Chek for more than 20 years, recently leading the rebrand to Texas Born (TXB). As a family of customer service-oriented convenience stores and quick food operations, the company offers 46 locations across Texas and Oklahoma. Smartt is the 2021 chairman for the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and serves as chairman for Conexxus. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Oklahoma Petroleum and Convenience Store Association and the Texas Food & Fuel Association, where he assists with various committees. Smartt continues to widen his professional board involvement and is interested in serving on boards involved in the banking, technology and healthcare industries. Smartt believes there is only one thing more important than becoming a part of the community, giving back to it. He has become a leader in charitable giving programs, involving Kwik Chek Food Stores in an annual Golf Tournament that has raised $60,000 for 11 non-profit child advocacy agencies, including CASA of Central Texas Inc. Smartt lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Shelly and their three children, Austin, Abby and Grace. When he’s not busy leading TXB/Kwik Chek or cooking for his family, Smartt enjoys traveling, hiking and snow skiing.

Wehmeyer oversees private brand development, management and design at the online. membership-free retail company. He’s been with the company for nearly five years, representing the first private brand team member to bring CPG experience and previously spent four years with Daymon.

Claudio Gemmiti has led Club Coffee’s disruptive approach to innovation in the coffee world since 2013, with a focus on sustainable packaging solutions. Club’s first major breakthrough under his leadership was the world’s-first compostable single-serve coffee pod. Claudio’s latest project arrives on store shelves later this year when Club Coffee and its brand partners introduce Boardio™, a revolutionary, high-barrier, paper-based, recyclable packaging format. Before joining Club Coffee, Claudio earned a strong reputation as a strategic thinker with deep CPG R&D acumen in building a record of success with iconic brands at Loblaw Companies Ltd. and Procter and Gamble.

Juan joined Kroger in 2021 with more than 20 years' experience in building and growing world-class bands from product delevoplment through launch, crafting marketing strategies and merchadising for national brand and private label products across all food, household, pet and personal care categories. His most recent experience comes from Ahold Delhaize USA, where he served as senior vice president of Private Brands. Juan also spent 12 years at H-E-B in their Own Brand organization, where he held roles of increasing responsability. During his tenure with H-E-B, Juan led strategy, brand management, growth, product development and packaging for their Own Brands which drove record sales and share. He also has experience as vice president of Grocery, Frozen, Health & Beauty Care and General Merchandising with Topco Associates, LLC. and has worked for CPG partners such as Oscar Mayer Food Corportation and Procter & Gamble in Venezuela and Mexico.

In her role, Guthrie leads the Dairy, Refrigerated & Frozen business and has been in the industry, and with Albertsons Own Brands team for more than 10 years. Guthrie is an expert in product management and innovation, with a wide range of experience across categories including Fresh, Center of Store and Non-Food. She is passionate about delivering quality products at a value that Albertsons’ customers can trust.

Jacqi Coleman is currently the Senior Vice President of Partnerships for DMI leading the Kroger partnership, our work in addressing food insecurity and most recently joining the environmental team in building partnerships to reach our 2050 Net Zero Environmental goals. Jacqi hold a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a M.B.A in Marketing from Northwestern School Kellogg School of Management. Jacqi brings over 20 years of consumer package goods experience from businesses owned by PepsiCo. Her experience includes brand management and leading innovation for well-known brands such as Quaker Oats, Tropicana and Dole Juices. Jacqi also worked on several global innovation platforms for markets including Mexico, Chile, India and Canada. She currently lives in Palatine, IL with her husband (Jay) and two daughters Claire and Kylie.

Dale Johnson is a Sr. Director DMM Merchant who partners with CPG Supplier of all sizes across the world to develop strategic business solutions that are focused on best-in-class business offers for the customers he serves. After spending most of his adult life as a retailer, Dale can anticipate the optimal approach to true customer solutions. Dale prides himself in being the first contact for suppliers looking for true partnerships that focus on mutual business growth, centered on addressing all aspects of consumer needs. Dale has led too many retail categories to count and has always focused on driving the business solutions required for sustainable ongoing success. This is done while maintaining a passion for the individual products and the purpose it serves in his customers lives, that he serves everyday. Dale’s largest source of pride is centered on his leadership in people development. Dale’s largest motivation is seeing the development of his team, and those around him. Never missing a chance to mentor, coach, or develop a world class organization, Dale has an always open-door policy. Dale lives with wife in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois. He is a father of three Dale V, Allyssa, and Kaitlin.

Erin Butler is the Private Brands Business Manager at Casey’s, a convenience store chain with over 2300 stores. Erin started at Casey’s in 2020 and has helped launch over 130 new items, 45 of those being in non-alcoholic packaged beverages. With over 10 years of brand building experience, Erin leads Casey’s private label new product development efforts for packaged beverages, snacks, frozen, refrigerated and dairy.

Julie Joy is the Director of Beer, Wine, Spirits at Rouses Markets. Specializing in innovation, Julie has developed several private label brands and launched several National Brands in the Industry. Originally from Chicago, graduating from Columbia College in Chicago, Julie had resided in several states before settling in the great state of Louisiana, where she enjoys the Southern Charm.

Darla Rieg is director of DSD, Beer & Wine and Ethnic categories, a position she has held since March 2020. Since joining The GIANT Company in 2011, Darla has served in various roles across the merchandising department including analyst, manager of negotiation strategy and category manager. Darla’s leadership has been especially essential over the past few weeks as she works with her team to stock store shelves for customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Clarion University and an MBA from Penn State University.