Circular Plastics Challenge
Applications Closed
About the Circular Plastics Challenge
We need innovative leaders like you to imagine how we can craft a truly circular economy! Industry-leading companies are eager for fresh, out-of-the-box thinking to push the plastics industry to become more circular, at scale. Net Impact’s Circular Plastics Challenge calls upon innovators, systems-thinkers, and practitioners from all walks of life and levels of study to consider:
How might we develop a business concept that leverages artificial intelligence at any point within the plastics value chain (whether pre-consumer, during consumer use, or post-consumer) in order to maximize circularity throughout the plastic value chain?
Up to five teams will be selected as finalists in the Circular Plastics Challenge. Finalist teams will be paired with a subject matter expert mentor to refine and prepare their presentation ahead of the finals. Finalist teams will present their solution to a panel of expert judges at the virtual Final Showcase event. The first place team will receive the $5,000 USD grand prize, with second and third place teams taking home $2,500 USD and $1,000 USD respectively.
Finalist Benefits
Advance Your Career
Five finalist teams will be paired with a subject matter expert mentor to improve their final pitch ahead of the virtual Final Showcase.
Expand your Network
Present your innovative solution to senior-level executives from the Coca-Cola Company and Hillenbrand, Inc. who are working on designing a more circular economy.
Win Prizes
First Place: $5,000
Second Place: $2,500
Third Place: $1,000
How it Works
Step 1: Get Started
Download the 2025 Challenge Brief, form your team of 2-4 members, and start ideating your solution! Apply by the early-bird deadline on March 14th to get personalized feedback from Net Impact Staff!
Step 2: Grow your Network
Everyone who downloads the Challenge Brief will be invited to an exclusive Industry Connections Networking Event to learn more about careers in sustainability!
Step 3: Submit your solution, become a finalist, and WIN!
Submit your solution addressing the challenge statement. Submissions are due no later than 11:59 pm PT on Friday, April 11th, 2025. Finalist teams will be paired with an expert mentor to refine their final pitch presentation before presenting virtually to a panel of experts to win $5,000!
Eligibility Criteria
Undergraduate students, graduate students, and professionals from around the world are all welcome to apply.
Teams must have two to four members. Teams of one are not allowed.
Existing businesses and startups who are currently worth or raised more than $100,000 in capital are ineligible to participate.
Program Timeline
January 2025: Program Launch - Challenge Brief is live
Week of February 24, 2025: Industry Connections Networking Event
March 14, 2025: Early Submission Deadline (To get personalized feedback from Net Impact staff on your submission)
April 11, 2025: Final Submission Deadline
June 11, 2025: Virtual Final Showcase
Time Commitment
If selected, finalist teams will be expected to commit to participating in the virtual Final Showcase in mid June 2025. The event will last approximately two hours and all team members are expected to attend. The final showcase will require approximately six to eight hours of preparation.
Meet this Year's Finalist Team Mentors and Final Judges
Finalist Team Mentors
Bailey Little | Senior Manager, Sustainability & Transformation, The Coca-Cola Company | As Senior Manager, Sustainability Trends, Bailey supports Coca-Cola's global technical sustainability team on sustainability reporting, target setting, KPI tracking, and sustainability data transformation across The Coca-Cola System's operations. She works with all Operating Units, Flavor Manufacturing, Commercial Product Supply, and Global Ventures on holistic sustainability strategy and reporting. Bailey joined Coca-Cola in the fall of 2023 after working in Energy & Sustainability consulting space, focusing on energy procurement and decarbonization.
Lisa Van Der Vorst | Senior Sales Director, Mold-Masters, A Hillenbrand Company | Lisa van der Vorst is the Senior Director of Sales for North America with Mold-Masters, bringing over 30 years of expertise in sales and global account management within the plastics industry—including hot runners and injection molding machines. With a career spanning both the USA and Europe, she has held key leadership roles, driving growth, building high-performing teams, and fostering lasting customer relationships. With a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration, Lisa combines technical expertise with strategic business acumen to deliver innovative solutions. Her experience and forward-thinking approach empower her to anticipate customer needs, optimize performance, and drive sustainable success in a competitive market.
Mark Rasberry | Senior Director, Digital Workplace Solutions & UX, The Coca-Cola Company | Mark Rasberry is the Senior Director of Digital Workplace Solutions & UX. In this role, Mark leads the development and implementation of digital workplace strategies that enhance user experience and drive innovation within the organization. Mark oversees various projects, including solution design, user experience research, and the development of digital tools and platforms. Collaborating closely with different departments and functions, Mark ensures that digital solutions align with business goals and improve overall productivity.
Maxim Ruff | Sales Manager, Coperion, A Hillenbrand Company | Maxim Ruff currently serves as Sales Manager at Coperion GmbH, where he leads international business development and client engagement in the field of industrial plant engineering. With over two decades of experience in mechanical and process engineering, he has held various leadership roles in project management, service innovation, and technical sales across Europe and Asia. He holds a Master of Science in Mechatronics and a Master of Arts in Business and Leadership for Engineers and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. focused on business model innovation in the era of servitization and digitalization. Maxim brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective, combining deep technical expertise with strategic insight into sustainable industrial transformation.
Taylor Royer | Manager, Global Packaging Development & Innovation - Sustainability, The Coca-Cola Company | Taylor Royer serves as Manager, Packaging Development at the Coca-Cola Company. In this role, Taylor supports sustainability initiatives for packaging in North America and is involved in project involving many different packaging formats. Taylor is passionate about continually learning about sustainability and how it can be applied to make an impact.
Final Judges
Christopher Dow | Global Business Development Manager, Coperion Recycling, A Hillenbrand Company
Chris is a seasoned professional who has dedicated his career to advancing recycling infrastructure on an international scale. In 2006, he played a pivotal role in constructing the UK’s first food-grade rHDPE and rPET recycling plant—a groundbreaking achievement showcasing a blend of technical expertise with entrepreneurial vision. Drawing on extensive experience in business development and senior management, Chris channels his passion for environmental sustainability into working alongside experts to develop new recycling technologies and expanding the recycling industry worldwide. His work not only enhances operational efficiencies across the recycling process but also fosters significant contributions toward a circular economy. Chris regularly lends his insight and expertise to both government bodies and industry leaders, advising on policies and strategic initiatives that drive sustainable practices. Currently, as the Global Business Development Manager with Coperion Recycling, he continues to spearhead transformative efforts, helping to set the standard for future innovations in recycling technology.
Conor Carlin | President, Clefs Advisory, LLC
Conor Carlin is the President of Clefs Advisory, LLC, a consultancy focused on plastics, packaging, sustainability, and policy. He was elected as the first Vice President of Sustainability for the Society of Plastics Engineers in 2017 and has served as moderator and speaker at global SPE events in North America, Europe, Australia and India. As SPE President in 2024, he led the group’s delegation to Busan, South Korea for the UN Global Plastics Treaty discussions and continues to advocate for science-based targets to global environmental challenges. Conor is the co-author and editor of the 2nd edition of “Plastics & Sustainability: Grey is the New Green” published by Scrivener/Wiley (2021). In addition, his writing on sustainable materials management has been featured in industry publications in North America, Europe, and China. Conor has led several field consulting management projects covering energy efficiency software applications, 2nd generation cellulosic ethanol start-ups, wastewater treatment companies, and plastic recycling technologies. Conor has degrees from Boston University (BA, International Relations / French) and the FW Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College (MBA). He currently serves as Committee Member for the Plymouth (Massachusetts) Climate Action Net Zero Board and the Recycling Committee.
Sai Mukkamala | Director of Strategy & Planning for the Sustainability Team, The Coca-Cola Company
Sai Mukkamala is the Director of Strategy & Planning for the Sustainability Team at Coca-Cola. In his role, Sai manages the integrated planning & performance for the North America Sustainability Team, including facilitating development of multi-year strategies and supporting the roadmap of initiatives and performance measurement capabilities. He manages strategic planning work on behalf of the Sustainability group, developing holistic and integrated business goals and priorities embedded within Operating, Marketing, and Customer plans to deliver World Without Waste, Water, Energy & Carbon objectives. He is responsible for ensuring that the long-range sustainability planning and financial budget is aligned with Marketing, Finance, and Technical teams to deliver on corporate commitments. Prior to his current role, he worked in investment strategy, commodities, supply-chain, and financial planning & risk management at Coca-Cola and in the financial services industry. Sai attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned dual-bachelor's degrees in Finance and Computer Science through the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology at the Wharton School and served as the co-founder of Penn Microfinance. Sai earned his MBA from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where he focused his studies on General Management, Operations, Strategy, and Finance. At Kellogg, Sai served as director of the Kellogg Marketing Club and received the Northwestern Buffett Sustainability Award from the Northwestern Buffett Institute for Global Affairs.
Christian Bigsby, Sr. Vice President, Workplace Resources
Christian leads Cisco’s Global Real Estate and Facilities organization, known as Workplace Resources, where he is creating the company’s Hybrid Portfolio Transformation. Prior to Cisco, Christian spent 25 years with GSK and its legacy companies. At GSK, he ran the Worldwide Real Estate and Facilities organization from 2011 through 2017.
In his three decades in the real estate industry, Christian has worked as an interior designer, a facility manager, and a real estate director. Over the past 15 years, he has helped transform the way people interact within the work environment and how they think of “the office” and “the lab.” Looking to the future, Christian and his team are constantly innovating to define the next generation of workplaces to drive the company’s real estate and services into a true competitive advantage in the retention and pursuit of talent. Christian holds a Bachelor of Science in Design from Cornell University.
Gretchen Sleeper, Director, AI Capabilities Team, Global Sales AI Center of Excellence
Gretchen Sleeper is a transformative technology executive with over two decades of experience driving enterprise-scale innovation at the intersection of AI, sales, and digital transformation. As Director of Cisco’s AI Capabilities Team, she leads efforts within the newly established Global Sales AI Center of Excellence, guiding the strategy, governance, deployment and adoption of AI capabilities that empower more than 20,000 sellers worldwide. In her role, Gretchen oversees Cisco’s global AI roadmap for sales, establishing robust governance frameworks, business requirements, and use case prioritization to ensure alignment across geographies, architectures, and sales functions. She partners with the Automation Office, IT, Customer Success, Marketing, People & Communities, and Legal to translate complex business challenges into scalable AI solutions that enhance customer engagement, productivity, and revenue performance.
A recognized champion of Responsible AI, Gretchen has been instrumental in building the foundation for secure, ethical, and compliant AI delivery across the sales lifecycle. Her leadership bridges data, design, and delivery, driving measurable business impact while fostering a culture of innovation and accountability across Cisco’s global sales ecosystem.
Gretchen holds a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and advanced certifications from Wells Fargo, Stanford, Forrester, IBM, Prosci and Cisco in Financial Analysis, Program Management, AI Governance, Change Management, and Generative AI. At the intersection of AI innovation, sales strategy, and business transformation, Gretchen brings a human-centered, data-driven approach to delivering impact at scale.
Scott McGregor, Director, Community Enablement
Scott McGregor is a seasoned leader in social impact and inclusion, with over 25 years of experience in the tech industry. As Cisco’s Director of Community Enablement within the Social Impact and Inclusion Office, Scott leads with purpose—having managed a $300 million portfolio dedicated to leveraging Cisco’s technology and solutions to transform and modernize the digital infrastructure and academic experiences of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). His work is grounded in a deep commitment to investing, innovating and empowering underserved communities through anti-poverty and skills-based strategies and tactics.
A 16-year Cisco veteran, Scott began his career at the company in Sales and Sales Operations before transitioning in 2020 to Cisco’s People and Communities organization. He has also served as a global leader for Cisco’s Employee Resource Groups (ERG), Connected Black Professionals. His community-centric approach has been instrumental in aligning Cisco’s business and purpose-driven goals with real-world impact.
Before joining Cisco, Scott held leadership roles in business development across the technology and staffing sectors, including positions at MicroAge, The Yoh Companies, and Courtyard by Marriott. Guided by his favorite motto—Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat (“Fortune favors the bold”)—Scott brings bold and courageous thought leadership, strategic insight, and unwavering passion to his work at the intersection of technology, education, and community transformation.
Shaina Tamburr, Vice President, Market Access Revenue Acceleration
Shaina Tamburr is a distinguished executive whose passion and expertise drive transformation across Cisco. She leads the Market Access Revenue Acceleration Office, orchestrating innovative go-to-market and route-to-market strategies to accelerate recurring as-a-Service (aaS) revenue growth. Shaina is recognized for delivering rapid time-to-value for Cisco’s partners and customers, particularly for compliant product offerings, by guiding cross-functional strategy from incubation through acceleration to successful market scale. Known for her ability to translate complex strategy into clear, actionable programs, Shaina excels at building and leading large-scale, cross-functional initiatives. She is respected for establishing and standardizing best practices that deliver data-driven insights and measurable outcomes, consistently accelerating business priorities across the organization.
Since joining Cisco in 2006, Shaina has demonstrated a proven track record of operational excellence. She previously led the Execution Management Office for Cisco’s Transformation Center, where she optimized the company’s portfolio, enhanced the go-to-market engine, and drove enterprise-wide alignment to accelerate strategic execution. As leader of the CX Centers Excellence & Standardization team, Shaina established foundational frameworks that streamlined processes and delivered an extraordinary customer experience. She also led Operations for Cisco Managed Services, overseeing business strategy, planning, go-to-market operations, process optimization, and business case development. Additionally, Shaina has held pivotal roles in North American sales and worldwide services organizations, building and managing portfolio management, program management, and business transformation offices. In addition to her operational leadership, Shaina serves as executive sponsor for two critical Cisco customers. In this capacity, she creates trusted relationships between Cisco and these key customers, and partners closely to help drive a strategic vision tailored to their evolving business needs. Shaina is committed to developing talent and building inclusive, high-performing teams that champion innovation and deliver impactful results. She actively mentors emerging leaders through Cisco’s JUMP Women’s Leadership Program and Connected Black Professionals. She also serves as Executive Sponsor for the Emerging Talent and Women of Cisco – Carolinas Inclusive Communities, supporting employee growth and advancement.
Shaina holds a BA in Clinical Psychology and Child Development from Tufts University and an MBA from Santa Clara University. She enhanced her executive leadership skills through the Executive Leadership Program at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and holds a certification in Portfolio Management from Stanford University. Shaina lives in North Carolina with her family and is an avid CrossFit athlete, coach, and competitor.