Mike Newman is the CEO of Returnity, where he builds logistics tools designed to improve efficiency across last-mile delivery, returns, and retail operations. He leads the development of The Last Box, a durable shipping and returns packaging solution built to replace inefficient cardboard workflows with standardized infrastructure at scale. Mike also serves as Board Chair for the U.S. Plastics Pact, a collaborative forum where the plastics value chain comes together to implement practical, scalable packaging systems that deliver environmental, social and economic benefits.

With more than 20 years of experience across operations, policy, and sustainability, Mike has helped build national-scale recovery and logistics programs for leading brands. He holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and lives in Brooklyn, NY.

A self-proclaimed waste policy and reuse nerd, Sydney brings a unique blend of stakeholder engagement and policy expertise to the packaging sector. With a foundation in science research and a decade of experience in state-level packaging policy, she has supported the design, passage, and implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) and deposit return system (DRS) programs with a particular focus on reusable packaging. After serving as policy director and lead at national organizations including Upstream and the Product Stewardship Institute, she is currently focusing on her own community as Board President of Reuse Maine - an organization she co-founded to advance reuse in the Pine Tree State.