Accelerate Sustainability Workshop

Guest Speakers

As the Director of the Office of Energy & Climate Change, Kathy aims to make it easy for everyone in Dane County (especially you) to make choices that help achieve our ambitious climate goals. Kathy has almost 30 years of experience helping businesses and residents adopt sustainable practices. Prior to joining Dane County, Kathy led Cool Choices where she worked with local governments and private businesses on sustainability efforts for about ten years. Before that she led Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide energy efficiency and renewable energy program. Kathy has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota, a Master’s from UW-Madison, and a reputation for getting results.

Zia is Program Manager for RoundTrip, the transportation demand management (TDM) program of the Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) that promotes sustainable transportation options in Dane County. Her work focuses on developing partnerships to support TDM in the Madison region and connecting individuals and employers with smart alternatives to driving alone. Prior to joining the MPO, Zia worked as a senior planner at Urban Assets, where she led public engagement for planning projects in the Madison area, including the East-West BRT Planning Study and major roadway reconstructions. She also served as the Indiana Complete Streets Coalition Coordinator from 2013–2014.

Sascha Dhanjal Eifler, the founder of Saffi Saana, moved to Chile to work with an olive oil farm where she learned the techniques of producing premium olive oil. She also learned about the widespread adulteration in the industry. She founded Saffi Saana with a mission to share the exceptional flavors of premium oils and vinegars while minimizing environmental impact. Saffi Saana oils, vinegars, and syrups are used by hundreds of MICHELIN Star restaurants and James Beard Awarded chefs around the country. Her dedication to eco-friendly practices is evident in Saffi Saana’s innovative solutions, including reusable packaging and bulk dispensers, which make it easy for stores to manage their bulk section and exciting for consumers to shop in bulk.

Ben Austin is the Sustainability Lead at J.H. Findorff & Son, Inc, a commercial general contractor headquartered in Madison, WI. In his role, Ben works across Findorff projects with owners, design teams, and construction partners to define and deliver on project sustainability goals. Internal to Findorff, he also leads an internal group named Findorff Footprint, to drive sustainability efforts within Findorff-owned buildings and within their culture. Ben has degrees in Civil Engineering and Sustainability Leadership, in addition to being a LEED and WELL Accredited Professional.

Mike Zydowicz has worked at designCraft Advertising since 2012. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in marketing and management, and now he is a marketing manager so that worked out pretty well. He also has a certificate in Integrated Liberal Studies from UW. Mike is certified in Google Ads and Google Analytics. He has been a vegetarian since 2009. In his free time he likes to run, bike, and judge beer as a BJCP certified beer judge.