Rebecca has more than 30 years’ experience in R&D product development and open innovation. A chemical engineer by training, she has directed scientific teams to bring a range of products from concept to commercialization in companies ranging startups to the Fortune 500. Most recently, she served as senior R&D associate for Sonoco Products Company, scouting technology and evaluating performance for more than 200 new materials and processes. She has worked collaboratively with internal and external resources and teams to organize conferences, webinars, and workshops on open innovation topics and brings skills in technology scouting, academic/industry open innovation, contracting, budget preparation, intellectual property, and government grants. Rebecca holds 18 patents (two pending) and has published 13 conference proceedings and peer-reviewed journal articles. She earned her doctorate in chemical engineering from Uppsala University in Sweden and a bachelor’s degree in applied science from Queens University in Ontario.