Founded by Lesley (Les) Gray in 2019, Max-Hamilton Group is a market-focused company built around identifying unmet needs and creating practical goods and services to address them. Its manufacturing work is best known for Bionex® biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastics, made from plant fibers for settings such as restaurants and schools.
Paradigm GroupFounded by CEO Ralph Bianculli in 1997, Paradigm Group—through its Emerald Brand—develops sustainable disposable and packaging solutions that replace conventional paper and petroleum-based plastics with agricultural fibers and plant-based materials. The company’s signature Tree-Free, Farm to Tissue, Farm to Paper, and Plant to Plastic innovations grew from an original recycled-materials line into a broader approach to using crop waste and renewable feedstocks. Emerald products carry certifications including USDA BioPreferred, ASTM, Cedar Grove, and BPI.HALESITE, NY
FoliumwareCo-founders Garima Parnami and Gaurav Pranami created Foliumware after a landfill visit prompted them to seek a genuinely natural alternative to disposable tableware. The company makes single-use leaf plates and bowls for gatherings, replacing conventional throwaway serveware with products designed to return to backyard compost in a few weeks.
OMAOFounded in New York City in 2020 after its founders grew tired of soggy paper straws, OMAO makes biodegradable drinking straws from PHA, a vegetable-oil-derived material designed to perform like traditional plastic without the same environmental persistence. Its straws are home compostable and can disappear in about 90 days, while the company’s sample packs are made in the USA. OMAO’s founding team won the Columbia University Alliance Social Enterprise Challenge and launched the company as a socially responsible business.C O CSL, NY
Produce Bio Pak LLCFounded in 2017, Produce Bio Pak LLC is a 17-member company built around collaborative sourcing and custom co-creation for businesses seeking more sustainable packaging. It works with produce packers, restaurants, food trucks, and specialty retailers to develop branded biodegradable or compostable packaging suited to their operations.