Svanika Balasubramanian

Svanika Balasubramanian

Co-founder & CEO
rePurpose Global

Graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics, she spent the next few years researching the impact of the illegal waste trade on marginalized local communities in the Global South, and helping build new financing instruments to bring much needed funding to the industry. Today, as the CEO and co-founder of rePurpose Global, she plays a pivotal role in activating private sector involvement in the development of a circular economy for plastic. rePurpose removes over 20 million pounds of plastic from vulnerable ecosystems annually by scaling up urgently needed waste collection and recycling infrastructure across 7 countries, in partnership with over 270 companies including PepsiCo and J&J. This has increased incomes for over 2000 workers and brought holistic waste management services to over 1 million people for the first time. Svanika is a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree, World Economic Forum SDG Champion, One Young World Lead2030 Champion, and Emerson Dial Fellow. She is a frequent commentator on social entrepreneurship and sustainability topics with appearances on global platforms including the Nobel Prize Summit, World Economic Forum, and Sustainable Brands. Svanika is fueled by two passions: pushing ahead the charge for our future circular economy and finding new ways to integrate podcasts into her day.


Sessions
BREAKOUT
COSTA DE LA LUNA - LUNA 5
Track: Transformative Governance & Metrics

CPG brands have more opportunities than ever before to make significant and transformative contributions to solving the global plastic pollution crisis, and thus to stand out as true leaders on this critical... see more

Wednesday 19th October
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM