Mark S. Rossi, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Clean Production Action
Mark has decades of experience creating solutions for safer chemicals and sustainable materials. Part of the CPA team since 2004, he began as Research Director and Co-Director, before rising to Executive Director in 2016. Mark is a member of the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act Advisory Committee and recipient of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Scientific and Technology Achievement Award, US EPA Region I’s Environmental Merit Award, and the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable’s P2 Ambassador Award.
He is a leader with the unique ability to bring together diverse groups and achieve innovative outcomes. Mark co-created GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals, a globally-recognized chemical hazard assessment method used by governments and businesses in the electronics, apparel, and building sectors to identify safer alternatives to toxic chemicals. He led CPA’s launch of GreenScreen Certified®, a certification program for products that meet rigorous GreenScreen criteria.
Mark co-founded the Chemical Footprint Project (CFP), a first-of-its-kind initiative to quantitatively measure chemical footprints, and survey and benchmark companies on their progress in reducing chemical footprints and using safer solutions.
He founded BizNGO, a collaborative of businesses, NGOs, and governments working together to create solutions for safer chemicals and sustainable materials. Mark led the integration of the Investor Environmental Health Network (IEHN), a network of forward thinking and acting asset managers, into CPA.
Mark’s career includes stints at the Tellus Institute, Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute, and Health Care Without Harm. His doctorate is in Environmental Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.
Julia Wolfe
Environmental Purchasing Director, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Julia Wolfe is the Director of Environmental Purchasing at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Operational Services Division (OSD), working to integrate sustainable specifications into statewide contracts. She helps administer Executive Order 515: Establishing an Environmental Purchasing Policy and co-chairs the Commonwealth’s Toxics Reduction Task Force. Before joining OSD, Julia worked for the US EPA on Pollution Prevention and Toxics and Solid Waste Programs and then for the Commonwealth’s Department of Environmental Protection Waste Programs Division and Toxics and Hazards Program. Julia’s environmental purchasing work has resulted in an award-winning multi-state procurement for Environmentally Preferable Cleaning Products, resulting in over $160M spend and counting. She’s led efforts to identify healthier furniture in statewide contracts, ways to incorporate EPP’s into Maintenance, Repair and Operations contracts, helped bring commercial grade battery powered electric lawn equipment to the contract, and identify ways to automate EPP data collection. Most recently she collaborated with RPN on PFAS free buying guide for the state.
Connect with Julia on LinkedIn and Twitter at @Mass_OSD
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi
Founder & CEO, Ahimsa
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi is a board certified pediatrician in Indiana. She received her medical degree from IU School of Medicine and completed pediatric residency at Northwestern University/Lurie Children’s Hospital. She trained at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for fellowship in Endocrinology.
Most recently, she launched the world’s first colorful stainless steel dishes for kids, Ahimsa, after the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) highlighted in 2018 the growing evidence of chemicals in plastic harming children’s health. She saw the disconnect between health policy and industry offerings so created a line of safe, sustainable foodware so parents and schools could follow these new health recommendations. The company has been featured in Parents Magazine, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Fortune Magazine and was the recipient of The Good Housekeeping Parenting Award both for their innovative science-based designs and their social mission related advocacy work to protect human health and environmental health. She is now on the Council for Environmental Health and Climate Change as well as the Council for School Health at the AAP. She loves to educate and empower parents and school leaders with evidence-based information to raise healthy children and protect our planet.
In 2019, Dr. Mantravadi received the “Physician Mentor of the Year” award at Indiana University School of Medicine, the largest medical school in the country. In 2021, she was named a Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur- a list of rising impactful business owners in America. She is also a board member for The Patachou Foundation – an Indianapolis based organization serving children facing food insecurity as well as The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Environmental Sustainability Initiative. She enjoys connecting with children, parents and students to discuss simple, practical ways to improve human and environmental health. She is on a mission to help create a cleaner, greener and healthier future for all kids.
Connect with Manasa on Youtube, Instagram, and LinkedIn