Speakers
Mr. Keith Prather (MBA) is a Managing Director and Co-founder of Armada Corporate Intelligence. During his 26 years with Armada, he has consulted with firms providing corporate intelligence, economic forecasting, and insights on changing global dynamics, geopolitics, supply chain issues, and other factors that affect the corporate operating environment. Clients have been broad based, multinational, and range from Fortune 500 firms to SME’s and Keith serves as the economic authority for more than 10 business associations.
Keith is a former CFO and is the chief editor for the Flagship, an “Officer of the Watch Report” read by more than 18,000 corporate executives weekly. He presents presentations and keynotes at more than 60 events a year and is a frequent guest on national podcasts.
Mr. Edwards has had a 30+ year career in the Digital Printing Industry, helping drive the analog to digital transition in print across multiple industries and applications. He has delivered innovative printing systems and ink technologies to address new markets and to open new digital print application areas.
Specific examples of Mr. Edwards achievements include the development of the first commercial Ink Jet label press and the first commercial UV LED Digital printer and ink system. He has delivered digital ink and printing systems across multiple industry verticals including Labels, Display Graphics, Ceramic Tiles, Textiles and Direct to Object packaging applications
Robert F. Helminiak is an experienced association executive with more than 15 years of leadership in government relations, legal affairs, and advocacy for manufacturing industries. As Executive Director of the Color Pigments Manufacturers Association (CPMA), he leads the organization’s strategy, advocacy efforts, and member engagement.
Previously, Helminiak served as Vice President of Legal & Government Relations at the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA), where he elped advance legislative and regulatory priorities. Throughout his career, he has led advocacy initiatives on issues including TCSA implementation, chemical regulation, environmental compliance, tariffs, and sustainability. His background also includes leadership roles with the Plastics Industry Association, the National Propane Association (NPGA), and the Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). He holds a B.A. from the University of Dayton a J.D. from The Catholic University of America. He is admitted to the Bar in MD and DC.
Dr. Mark Bohan is Director Color Solutions at Konica Minolta Business Solutions, where he is responsible for production and industrial software print solutions and collaborates closely with R&D on hardware and software product development. He supports some of the major accounts across the portfolio. He has conducted extensive research along with technical and business assessments for print users and manufacturers and is a certified Idealliance G7+ trainer. He actively supports the industry by serving on multiple boards and committees and participating in standards development efforts worldwide where he is currently the CGATS chair. He is keen to mentor the next generation of our industry and supports many organizations including TAGA.
Jeff Peterson, Executive Director, Foil & Specialty Effects Association
Danny Rubenstein provides strategic counseling to industry regarding regulatory compliance requirements for food packaging materials and food ingredients across the globe.
With a technical background in Industrial Engineering, Danny recognizes the importance of providing clients with timely and actionable advice regarding critical regulatory decisions that drive product innovation, marketing, and promotion. Danny leverages this experience to assist companies in proactively establishing compliance for products under the laws and regulations administered by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Union (EU) and jurisdictions throughout Asia and South America.
Since joining INX in 2015, she has advanced from Analytical Chemist to Analytical Lab Manager in 2021 and Director in 2023. Banke is active with EuPIA’s Analytical Expert Working Group and the Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR), contributing to projects related to migration testing, nitrosamine analysis, and recycled plastics. She has presented award-winning research at NPIRI, RadTech, TAGA, and other industry conferences, and is dedicated to mentoring emerging chemists through INX’s internship program. Her work focuses on developing practical, reliable testing methods that support product quality and innovation in the ink industry.
Justin Calcott has been with Eastman for 5 years in Coatings and Inks supporting T.S. & A.D with their product lines as a T.S. Sales Representative. He has worked with cellulose esters as an alternative to nitro cellulose in a variety of applications. He holds an A.S. in Chemistry and a B.S. in Medical Science with a minor in Chemistry.
Dr. Vorst serves as the Director of the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. Dr. Vorst worked in industry for three major packaging companies and automotive manufacturer prior to joining academia. Dr. Vorst has over 75 publications and 13 published or pending patents for plastics characterization, package design, contamination monitoring, medical device manufacturing, and polymer design. Dr. Vorst has received awards for most cited and downloaded articles in Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, Journal of Food Protection, and Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. Dr. Vorst has done extensive work in method and sample preparation for PFAS analysis in packaging materials and novel coatings, recycling, and adhesive technologies for multi-layer packaging structures. Dr. Vorst has received federal funding from the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Defense (DOD), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to evaluate recycling and safety of plastic waste.