LIVE EVENTS

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Women in Circularity® is a powerful, community-driven conversation series that spotlights women leaders accelerating the transition to a circular economy. Created and curated by MaryEllen Etienne, Women in Circularity is more than just a session—it's a platform for storytelling, insight-sharing and sparking collaboration across sectors.

These live sessions have been featured at national industry events, including the Resource Recycling Conference and the Plastics Recycling Conference*, drawing energy, authenticity and connection to stages that drive forward the circular economy.

Now, you can bring a live Women in Circularity® session to your event—adding depth, diversity, and dialogue that audiences value. Whether it’s a fireside chat, a rapid spotlight round  or an interactive panel, each session is tailored to the tone, theme and goals of your event, while staying true to the mission of celebrating women changemakers.

Interested in hosting a live Women in Circularity® session at your next event?
Let’s co-create something meaningful! Contact MaryEllen Etienne for more information. 

SAMPLE LIVE EVENTS

2026 National Recycling Congress: Women in Circularity - Advancing EPR

This hybrid session featured a brief context-setting presentation and a firedside chat discsussion highlighting the growing role of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in advancing a circular economy. Industry leaders explored emerging policy trends, implementation strategies and lessons learned from EPR programs across North America, while examining how collaboration, innovation and leadership can accelerate sustainable materials management outcomes. 

HOST

• MaryEllen Etienne, Founder & CEO, Women in Circularity

PANELIST

• Andriana Kontovrakis, Director of EPR Solutions, Reverse Logistics Group (RLG)

2025  Plastics Recycling Conference: Women in Circularity - Leading the Charge for a Sustainable Future 

This breakout panel discusion highlighted the leadership, innovation and impact of women driving circular economy initiatives—exploring their roles in advancing recycling, sustainable design, and packaging, overcoming barriers and fostering mentorship and inclusion across the sustainability sector. 

HOST

• MaryEllen Etienne, Founder & CEO, Women in Circularity

PANELISTS

• Andriana Kontovrakis, Director of EPR Solutions, Reverse Logistics Group
• Beth Forsberg, Senior Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer, Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona
• Celeste McMickle, Director, GBCI
• Katie Drews, Co-President and CEO, Eureka Recycling

2024 Resource Recycling Conference: Women in Circularity  

This was the first live Women in Circularity event! This plenary panel discussion featured female leaders in the reuse, recycling and sustainability industry who shared insights on best practices, career advancement and emerging trends in the circular economy.

HOST

• MaryEllen Etienne, Founder & CEO, Women in Circularity

PANELISTS

• Allyson Mitchell, Vice President of Sustainability, Apkudo
• Leslie Lukacs, Executive Director, Zero Waste Sonoma
• Crystal Driebach, CEO, Upstream

💡 Important Note: “Women in Circularity®” is the sole intellectual property of MaryEllen Etienne. All uses of the name or format must be licensed  and/or receive prior approval by Women in Circularity, LLC.