Hemp Talk
February 28, 2022

Interview with Hemp Leaders and Advocate around the World – Episode 5

Hemp Talk with Heather Rubiales- Environmental Activist and Pioneer in Hemp Bioplastic Solutions

Learn Hemp Industry insights from top Hemp Leaders and advocates from around the world.  Hosted by Hemp Foundation TALKS with Rebecca Spain.  

In today’s episode we get the pleasure of speaking with Heather Rubiales, Founder of Heather’s Hemp Alternatives. Heather is an environmental activist and pioneer in the hemp bioplastic space.

Heather shares solutions that can overcome plastic pollution with hemp-based biodegradable packaging, with the ability to be backyard compostable.

See Heather’s hemp bioplastic samples up close and learn more about Heather’s Hemp Alternatives future innovations of 100% hemp packaging.   

About Rubiales

Heather Rubiales is the visionary behind Heather’s Hemp Alternatives. She has worked closely within the Cannabis industry since 2009, gaining expertise in cultivation and distribution. Heather is a lifetime environmentalist, receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources Management. During college was when she dived deep into the industrial Hemp plant and gained knowledge of all of its uses and the potential for great environmental change for our world. She’s especially passionate about tackling plastic pollution and why she created her Hemp bioplastic startup to ignite real change within the Hemp & Cannabis industry surrounding the plastic waste issue.

Speaker Tags/Social Media: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-rubiales-510a781a1/

Vishal Vivek is the Founder and CEO of Ukhi, a pioneering bio-materials company dedicated to ending plastic pollution by converting agricultural waste into high-performance compostable polymers. With a background in sustainable entrepreneurship and over a decade of technology experience, he leads Ukhi’s vision to create scalable, planet-positive material solutions. Previously, Vishal founded the Hemp Foundation, where he empowered more than 1,000 farmers and advanced sustainable livelihood initiatives. His work has been recognized through awards such as the HDFC Parivartan Grant and featured in leading publications like Forbes and Entrepreneur. Times Group recognized him as a legendary entrepreneur and published his biography in “I Did IT- Vol 2” alongside social pioneers like Bindeshwar Pathak (Sulabh International) and Anshu Gupta (Goonj). Vishal has authored more than 200 articles on sustainability and hemp, reflecting his deep expertise and advocacy for regenerative solutions. His commitment to grassroots impact led him to live in the remote mountains of Uttarakhand, where he immersed himself in the lives of marginal farmers, understanding their challenges and co-creating economic opportunities through hemp-based initiatives. A deeply passionate innovator, Vishal often draws inspiration from seemingly impossible achievements: “If Elon Musk can make rockets reusable, or Dashrath Manjhi can carve a path through a mountain with rudimentary tools, why can’t we eliminate the demon of single-use plastic while uplifting struggling farmers? We will make it happen—whatever it takes.” Ukhi is proud to be supported by premier institutions including IIT Guwahati, NSRCEL-IIM Bangalore, Indian School of Business (Hyderabad), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR Pusa), and the Indian Institute of Packaging. Vishal is committed to demonstrating that business can be a powerful catalyst for global environmental and social good. Connect with Vishal Vivek