10:00 AM-1:00 PM

Registration Open

12:30-12:45 PM

Bus Departure for Cargill / NatureWorks Tour
Buses will depart from front of hotel

1:30-4:00 PM

Cargill / Natureworks Facility Tour

Join us for a tour of the Blair, NE Bio-Refining Campus where Cargill and NatureWorks will host a site tour and history overview. Come see how agricultural products processed by Cargill are turned into value-added downstream chemical and biomaterial products including a stop at NatureWorks’ Ingeo™️ PLA manufacturing facility.

4:00-4:15 PM

Bus Departure to PBPC Networking Reception
Buses will depart from front of hotel

6:00 PM

Bus Departure to Omaha Downtown Marriott

7:00 AM-3:00 PM

Registration Open

7:30-8:30 AM

Breakfast & Networking
Capitol and Douglas Room

8:30-8:45 AM

Welcoming Remarks
Capitol Ball Room

• James Glueck
  Executive Director, Plant Based Products Council
• Ian Jacobson
  President, Eco-Products, PBC
  PBPC Board Chair

9:00-9:20 AM

Fireside Chat
Capitol Ball Room

• Sam Kieffer
  Vice President, Public Policy
  American Farm Bureau Federation

9:30-10:25 AM
Session 1

Connecting the Dots Across the Value Chain
Capitol Ball Room

• Quentin Connealy, Farmer, Q Connealy Farms
• Florencia Goren, Chief Revenue Officer, Beta Analytic
• Austin Vaillancourt, Senior Business Manager of Biofuels and Bioproducts, Verity Carbon Solutions, Gevo
• Jamaica Gayle, Director of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs, Plant Based Products Council (moderator)

Consumer interest and demand are driving innovation and opportunity across the value chain.  Our panelists will share perspectives on their role in the renewable product marketplace. Learn about the benefits, challenges, and opportunities that face organizations engaged throughout the bioeconomy. 

10:30-11:00 AM

Networking & Coffee Break
Douglas Room

11:00-11:55 AM
Session 2

Feedstock Diversity: Innovating the Future of Plant Based Products
Capitol Ball Room

• Sam Murray, Chief Operating Officer, Loliware
• Keith Edwards, VP Business Development, Danimer Scientific
• Gustavo Ferreira Lombardi, Director of Business Development, Braskem America Inc.
• Mark Remmert, Chief Executive Officer, Green Dot Bioplastics Inc.
• Max Camateros-Mann, Manager of Sustainability, Plant Based Products Council (moderator)

Explore the diverse feedstocks driving innovation in plant-based products. From first-generation renewable materials to cutting-edge alternatives, our panelists will reveal their unique properties and potential to transform the bioeconomy. Learn about the feedstocks shaping a regenerative, circular economy.

12:00-12:30 PM

Buffet Lunch
Capitol Ball Room

12:30-12:50 PM

Lunch Keynote Speaker
Capitol Ball Room

• Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA

12:50-1:20 PM

Networking Break
Douglas Room

1:20-2:15 PM
Session 3

Beyond Functionality: Exploring the World of Durable Bioproducts
Capitol Ball Room

• Brendan Ihde, Director, Business Development - Renewable Chemicals and Feedstocks, Virent, Inc.
• Jason Robinson, CEO, Evoco Ltd.
• Greg Wilson, Founder, HempWood®
• Jamaica Gayle, Director of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs, Plant Based Products Council (moderator)

Dive into the world of durable, long-lasting products – from apparel to automotive components to construction materials. Learn how renewable inputs are driving a sustainability revolution while simultaneously enhancing the performance of durable goods.

2:15-3:05 PM
Session 4

How They Built It: Local Biomanufacturing Hubs
Capitol Ball Room 

• Nicole Bateman, President, Economic Development Corporation of Decatur-Macon County
• K.C. Belitz, Director, Nebraska Department of Economic Development
• Robin J. Bowen, Senior Vice President of External Affairs, Plant Based Products Council (moderator)

Discover how states are prompting investments in biobased products and biomanufacturing. Speakers will delve into the vital partnerships and infrastructure required to create an environment that enables biomanufacturing investment.  Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into the bio-based economic landscape and how to drive prosperity in your region.

3:05-4:00 PM
Session 5

Cultivating Circularity: The Role of Compostables
Capitol Ball Room

• Brent Crampton, Director of Partnerships, Hillside Solutions & Soil Dynamics
• Leah Ford, Global Marketing & Communications Director, NatureWorks
• Diana Thomas, Sustainability Manager, BioLogiQ
• Alex Truelove, Legislation & Advocacy Manager, Biodegradable Products Institute (moderator)

Explore the pivotal role of compostable products in fostering circularity and addressing environmental concerns while supporting regenerative agriculture. Discover the challenges and opportunities that compostables face as our panelists discuss their transformative impact on farming practices, contributing to soil health and nature's regeneration.

4:00-5:00 PM

Networking Break
Douglas Room

5:00-6:30 PM

Networking Reception (Sponsored by BioLogiQ) 
Gallery Place at Marriott Hotel