Ken Alston is a sustainability strategist and circular economy pioneer with over 40 years of experience transforming how businesses understand and operationalize regenerative systems. As founder of Circularity Edge, Ken brings a unique perspective shaped by two decades of building early corporate sustainability infrastructure and annual reporting programs, followed by 17 years working directly with Cradle to Cradle® founders Bill McDonough and Dr. Michael Braungart. His work bridges corporate practice, systems thinking, and biological design principles, grounding aspirational sustainability concepts in practical business application.

Ken’s contributions to the field include starting the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and managing the formation of theCradle to Cradle Products Innovation Instituteand its product certification program. He has developed proprietary frameworks, including the Tactical Tetrahedron™ (a 3D model showing complete material cycles through Creation, Maturity, Death, and the Sustainability base), the Primal Mandate™ (defining the non-negotiable requirement to sustain life’s conditions), and Sovereign Sustainability™ (leadership practice for genuine transformation). His Design Like Nature™ protocol and Vitacide Risk™ assessment provide organizations with practical tools for diagnosing competitive risks and implementing regenerative solutions.

Currently, Ken hosts The Circularity Catalyst podcast and develops circular economy roadmaps for governments across South America and the Caribbean. Working with business partners Kevin DeCuba and Rachel Kan, he guides organizations from incremental efficiency gains toward systemic transformation that sustains both operations and the conditions operations depend on. Ken’s approach challenges conventional sustainability thinking by insisting on precision—specifying what we’re sustaining, for how long, within what constraints—and demonstrating how businesses can meet genuine sustainability requirements while maintaining competitive advantage.

Ken has presented his frameworks across the Americas and Europe, including as a keynote speaker at the 12th International Environmental Congress in Bogota, a featured presenter at the Circular Economy Forum of the Americas (CEFA) annually since 2017, and as a speaker selected by the U.S. Department of State for Earth Day programs throughout Germany. His speaking engagements span government institutions (Inter-American Development Bank, USAID briefings, Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association), industry conferences (Adhesive & Sealants Association Sustainability Summit, Sustainable Cosmetics Conference), and academic institutions across Colombia and Latin America. Whether addressing C-suite executives, government policy makers, sustainability professionals, or university students, Ken’s presentations combine rigorous systems thinking with practical implementation guidance, challenging conventional sustainability approaches while providing clear pathways from incremental improvement to genuine regenerative transformation. His work at CEFA2025 in Colombia continues his decade-long commitment to building circular economy capacity throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.