Stephan Hardt approached the Illinois Sustainability Technological Center (ISTC) in 2014 about establishing a partnership between ISTC and the Instituto de Tecnologia Aplicada e Qualificacao (ITAQ) in Brazil to explore sustainable solutions. Mr. Hardt presented at a seminar on waste management in Brazil, which was well received. He served as the lead point of contact for bi-weekly joint working group sessions that developed new project opportunities. The director observed that Mr. Hardt played a key role in the success of the partnership through his international business skills, project management abilities, and business ethics.