Wisconsin Hemp by Hand | Virtual Kickoff Panel

Wisconsin Hemp by Hand Kickoff Event:
Thursday, March 3rd, 2022 | 4:00pm CT
Register here: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrduivpzgiGdR9doaihK1nUcnNvk9w6_JN

Panelist Bios:
Steven Kostell, MFA is a designer and Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at The University of Vermont (UVM). He serves as Co-PI and Project Director of a transdisciplinary USDA/NIFA REEU, Agricultural Transition through Transformative Practices in Rural Economies, linking various aspects of at-scale hemp production and material processing. Kostell leads the UVM Biofiber Lab, a research lab that focuses on waste stream mitigation and regenerative bio-product development through the traditional craft of hand papermaking.

Greg Wilson is the Founder of Fibonacci, LLC, which is the only manufacturer of HempWood® internationally. With nearly 20 years in the building industry, Wilson continues to introduce a sustainable hardwood alternative.

Eric Benson was born in Arizona and raised in Mid-Michigan where he later received his BFA in graphic and industrial design from the University of Michigan in 1998. He worked professionally as a UI/UX designer at Razorfish and Texas Instruments before he received his MFA in design from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006. His MFA thesis became the internationally recognized and award-winning sustainable design website www.re-nourish.org. His work with Re-nourish translated into an academic career where he currently is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research and teaching at Illinois laid the foundation to create the Fresh Press Agri-Fiber Paper Lab. Fresh Press explores the potential of papermaking to be zero waste, environmentally sustainable, and a catalyst for a thriving local economy.

Guy Carpenter is President and CEO of Bear Fiber, Inc., and President at Cape Fear Apparel Consulting, both of North Carolina. He also serves as a commissioner in the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Commission pilot program, and is a consultant to Panda Biotech of Texas. Carpenter has more than 30 years experience in global textile and apparel manufacturing, sourcing, distribution and sales, and has consulted on the subject of natural fibers in both the public and private sectors.

Trey Riddle the chief strategy officer at IND HEMP. Dr. Riddle has worked as an engineer, manager and executive. He is an avid entrepreneur, having founded and run several businesses. Over the course of his career, he has honed design and analytical techniques in a variety of industries including wind energy, automotive, power distribution, composite manufacture, and material sciences. IND HEMP is a family-owned, Industrial Hemp oilseed, and fiber company providing new opportunities for farmers in Montana and across the American West growing hemp. Their team is building the supply chain relationships and processing infrastructure necessary to support the growth of a stable supply chain using American Grown hemp fiber at scale in the industry domestically and around the world.

Alli La Pierre manages the Natural Woven Material Category at Patagonia, working on product lines like Patagonia Workwear, Equipment, and Sportswear. In addition to seasonal development work, Alli works closely with the cross-functional teams to identify, vet, and implement new, sustainable, technology, chemistries, and processes, across the supply chain. Alli is also the global point of contact for hemp strategy and innovation within the company and has worked over the past 6 years to help network and connect hemp supply chain logistics domestically and abroad. She is a 2015 NC State College of Textiles graduate in Polymer and Color Chemistry.