Inside Packaging’s Future Innovators with Danielle Goad and Nicole Toole

Bonjour and Hello, 

In this episode, Cory Connors interviews two standout winners of the Paris Packaging Week Future Leaders Program—Danielle Goad and Nicole Toole—to explore their journeys, innovations, and perspectives on the future of sustainable packaging. Danielle shares how discovering packaging at Cal Poly led to a global leadership role at SpecRight and her upcoming move to London as she builds the EMEA region. Nicole recounts founding ECGO as a college project and transforming it into an AI‑powered recycling education and behavior‑change platform used by students, universities, and brands.
Both leaders reflect on being recognized among the top ten emerging leaders worldwide and discuss the importance of global collaboration, consumer behavior insights, regulatory preparedness (PPWR & EPR), and inspiration from younger generations. They share what they're most looking forward to at Paris Packaging Week—from innovation zones to reuse concepts to the energy of an international community passionate about packaging.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Danielle’s path from student to global leader and her work scaling SpecRight internationally
• Nicole’s founding of ECGO and the role of AI, incentives, and data insights in improving recycling behaviors
• The significance and impact of being named Future Leaders by Paris Packaging Week
• Evolving sustainability messaging and the shift toward value‑driven, consumer‑relevant communication
• The rapid pace of regulatory change and the industry’s need for continual education (PPWR, EPR)
• Cross‑industry collaboration and the packaging sector’s tight‑knit, globally connected nature
• Excitement about innovations in reuse, sustainability tech, and meeting global peers at Paris Packaging Week

Resources Mentioned:

• SpecRight – Specification management platform
• ECGO – AI‑powered consumer education and recycling platform
• Paris Packaging Week Future Leaders Program

Contact:

Danielle Goad:

LinkedIn: Danielle Goad
Email: danielle@specright.com
Visit SpecRight at their stand in the PCD space during Paris Packaging Week

Nicole Toole:

Website: ecgo.co
LinkedIn: Nicole Toole

Closing Thoughts:

Cory, Danielle, and Nicole highlight the tremendous momentum building within sustainable packaging—driven by young leaders, new technologies, data‑driven insights, and global collaboration. They emphasize that meaningful industry change requires education, curiosity, and fresh thinking from every generation. Both guests hope their recognition as Future Leaders inspires other emerging professionals to share ideas boldly, challenge the status quo, and pursue innovative solutions that reduce waste and improve the planet.

Thank you for tuning in to Sustainable Packaging with Cory Connors!

https://anewearthproject.com/collections/new-earth-approved

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-connors/

I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap.

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.