The Sustainable Ocean Alliance Team

At the age of 19, Daniela founded Sustainable Ocean Alliance as a college-room idea at Georgetown University. Five years later, SOA has created the world's largest network of young Ocean Leaders in over 150 countries and launched the world's first Ocean Solutions Accelerator to support developing technological solutions to address the greatest threats facing our planet.

Daniela has been recognized for her work by former U.S. Secretary John Kerry, U.S. President Bill Clinton, and E.U. Commissioner Karmenu Vella. She is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and a member of Friends of Ocean Action—a select group of leaders working to fast-track solutions to ocean challenges.

She was awarded the 2020 Rising Star Visionary Award by the Silicon Valley Forum and named a 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur. Other awards and recognitions include Glamour Magazine's College Women of the Year, Zula's Top 5 Ocean Heroes of 2016, the Peter Benchley Ocean Award, and the Bustle Upstart Award. Daniela is a contributor to National Geographic and Sustainable Brands, and has been interviewed by Voice of America, New York City TV, and Ocean Radio.

She has served as a keynote speaker at The Economist World Ocean Summit, the Global Climate Summit, The Global Convening of Mayors, The United Nations, U.S. Capitol Hill Ocean Week, Collision Conference, Sustainable Brands Conference, WE Day, and Davos 2019 - The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting.

Chris most recently led program strategy and planning at Nia Tero, a US-based nonprofit working in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples and movements worldwide to secure and uphold many of the planet's healthiest ecosystems essential to the security of global food production, fresh water, and ultimately, the Earth's climate.

Chris’ global leadership in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector began at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Chris was originally recruited to the Gates Foundation to lead continuous improvement of their grants and contracts management systems and processes responsible for $5 Billion in investments annually. After the launch and implementation of the foundation’s harmonized investment workflow processes, Chris led finance and operations for their largest program, Agricultural Development, comprising $400 Million annual budget, 11 complex portfolios, 80 staff members, and offices in the United States, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and India.

Chris is a graduate of California State University Maritime Academy, and after spending nearly a year of his life at sea, is excited to join Sustainable Ocean Alliance to advance the impact of startups, social entrepreneurs, and youth-centered initiatives that are developing solutions to the greatest threats facing our ocean.

At ReadWrite, Craig worked closely with 115 early-stage technology startups from a variety of industries including healthcare, agriculture, fitness, safety, cleantech, energy, and smart cities. Before entering the technology sector, Craig worked at the National Marine Fisheries Service and studied Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California Santa Cruz.

In his tenure at Sustainable Ocean Alliance, Brandon has carried his mission forth by supporting the next generation of ocean innovators with the training, resources and networks they need to build nature-positive solutions and reach their full potential as human beings. In this capacity, Brandon has built the Ocean Leadership Program, created a grant program that has funded grassroots projects in 60+ countries, spearheaded global leadership summits in collaboration with foreign governments, and provided integral coaching for young leaders worldwide. 

As a sought after public speaker, Brandon has lectured and led workshops on living systems theory, conscious leadership, climate technology, ecopsychology, & mindfulness at impact-oriented institutions and conferences around the globe (UN, NASA, Toniic, COP27, et al). On his world tour, he continues to inspire people to apply their creative talent, technological prowess, and stored reserves of capital in service of full-scale systems change. 

Outside of SOA, Brandon is a mentor for StartingBloc and sits on several boards for ecologically-focused projects (ÆRTH, AQUA MATER). During his tenure at New Energy Nexus, Brandon helped manage a funding and professional development program for innovators working to develop early-stage clean energy concepts. Additionally, he has co-founded an impact advisory firm, and has consulted for CalCharge, Alameda County, and 3Degrees respectively.

Having spent her entire life living on the Atlantic Ocean coastline, Melissa has a great love and appreciation of the ocean. Already an advocate and supporter of philanthropic work, she shares a passion to make positive changes locally, nationally and globally. An active member in children's health in her home state of Rhode Island, Melissa founded the Dorian J. Murray Foundation, is a leadership council member of Hasbro Children's Hospital, and spokesperson for the RI Blood Center.

Kay uses her administrative strengths to help individuals and teams increase capacity, build trust and achieve personal and professional growth. Kay also serves as trainer and professional coach for executive support professionals, focusing on problem-solving skills, interpersonal relations and project management.

Originally from rural upstate New York, Kay has a deeply personal connection to environmental stewardship, having spent much of her youth in the Catskill and Adirondack mountains. She is proud to join the SOA team to bridge her personal interest with her professional skills.

He believes that saving the planet in the next 12 years will require bringing forth a world where young people feel the possibility—and moral responsibility—to create a life aligned with both their values and a thriving ocean. Taylor graduated summa cum laude from the University of Colorado with a concentration in environmental and indigenous policy. He has held positions at National Geographic, Americorps, and land and ethnic conservation NGOs in New York City and San Francisco.

Doreen brings over 10 years of experience in technology consulting, venture capital, startups, public policy, and nonprofit board leadership to SOA. In San Francisco, she first launched her career in venture as one of the founding members of Alumni Ventures Group’s Social Impact Fund and Towerview Ventures. She then led technology scouting engagements for various clients. In 2020, Doreen joined Republic as a Venture Partner to democratize access to early stage investments and support for founders, irrespective of their background, race, gender or location. She is committed to fostering more diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities in the tech industry.

Doreen has a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and a professional master's degree in Environmental Engineering from Duke University.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors - hiking, biking, camping, backpacking, snowboarding, and scuba diving.

Sofía brings a background in anthropology, international development, education, and climate science to SOA. She spent 2 years in northeast Brazil on a Fulbright Grant where she taught English for Specific Purposes at the Universidade Federal de Campina Grande and Universidade Federal de Pernambuco and mentored other U.S. Fulbright Scholars as a representative of the Fulbright Brazil Commission. She holds a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh with a focus on Latin American Studies, and an M.A. in Climate and Society from Columbia University’s Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences/The Earth Institute where she studied climate dynamics, climate change & variability, and related societal impacts. 

Most recently, she worked with the Kenya Red Cross on a geospatial analysis to understand key climatic/weather drivers of locusts and developed a Spanish climate curriculum for the Pro Eco Azuero Foundation in Panama. She has also been a teaching assistant for the “Water Resources and Climate” course offered by Columbia University’s MS in Sustainability Management. In her free time, Sofia likes to try new recipes, do yoga, salsa dance, watch environmental documentaries, and continue her love of languages. She speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese and is currently learning Italian. She firmly believes that planetary and human health are inextricably intertwined and that the ocean must be advocated for due to its crucial role in regulating climate.

He joined one of the Big Four Accounting firms as an auditor to develop a stronger understanding of operational processes and system design. Jon was then responsible for the US expansion of a multimillion dollar product line at a major international retailer. After the launch he transitioned to leading an IOT solution decreasing waste in thousands of office buildings. Through that process Jon discovered an opportunity and passion and launched an operational and events consulting firm. Jon has and continues to support organizations that focus on improving the wellbeing of life on earth.

Jon cares about connecting personal wellbeing, environmental wellbeing, and technology. In every aspect of his life these three pillars are reminders of what he finds most important. For Jon it started with technology. He built his first computer at 10 and that led to the development of many physical and digital tools to simplify his life. He was initially very focused on productivity and time management, though over the years Jon has developed that question into something more holistic.

She spent the past two years working with Centro Community Partners helping over 300 local underrepresented entrepreneurs gain access to $500K in funding and resources. She is passionate about helping others and creating a future for everyone that involves caring for the planet, our ocean, and each other. 

In the last 6 years, Leon has engaged deeply in diverse doings with trailblazing organizations like Sustainable Ocean Alliance, Buckminster Fuller Institute, One Point Five, Singularity University, Biomimicry 3.8, StartingBloc, Playground of Empathy and RETHINK that are all thought leaders in the impact space. Leon is a Certified Biomimicry Professional with a M.S. Biomimicry from ASU and B.S. Bioengineering from UCSD.

Leon operationalizes and delivers SOA's Oceans Solutions Accelerator, advancing solutions of global entrepreneurs and organizers to heal our oceans and create a more sustainable future for our planet. In our collaborative dream team, they design, build and advise the operating systems (tools and culture), virtual four-week program, network development, mentorship program and ongoing, global network engagement and programming.

Leon is bravely shifting our dreaming, knowing, being and doing in this world to be more People Positive, Complexity Conscious and Life Liberating. As an Anti-Bias Anti-Racist Intersectional Environmentalist, they also strive to bring awareness to critical (un)learning of systems of oppression. In radical brave spaces, ki invites attention, intention, and repetition toward active shaping of more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive (JEDI) futures for All Life.

A values-driven, systems thinker, Jessica thrives on supporting communities and entrepreneurs in gaining the necessary skills and networks for climate resilience. With a diverse background in social innovation, community management, impact assessment, and partnership development, Jessica has worked with small to large-scale nonprofits, social businesses, management consulting firms, and SaaS and hardware startups to support collective impact projects. 

 A “third-culture kid” who has worked in 20+ countries and traveled to 42, Jessica is dedicated to using collaboration, participatory design, and open data technologies to increase the organizational capacity of mission-led organizations around the globe. Some of her recent projects include building a design and research firm called FutureProof Studio that works with innovation ecosystems to democratize access to funding and facilitate community-led evaluation of social businesses. Their prior clients include WWF, MIT D-Lab and UNDP Mexico.

 Born and raised in coastal California, Sabrina has experienced firsthand the impacts of climate change on her community. From wildfire and drought to debris flow and coastal flooding, she has witnessed the rapid changes to our planet that are stressing the resiliency of our global ecosystems. Motivated by hope and action, she firmly believes that humanity is both the problem and the solution to the climate crisis.

Her interests lie in applying research to conservation policy, the intersection of environmental, economic, and social sustainability, and mobilizing communities. She believes in the power of collective action to create tangible solutions for the present and future.

Throughout her undergrad, she has worked on multiple research projects with goals of understanding the ecology of different species to aid in further conservation decision making efforts. She brings a cross-cultural background through her studies in countries leading in sustainable development as well as those more susceptible to the changing climate. These cross-cultural experiences has given her a widened perspective to the immediate action needed going forward in protecting the planet.

Rachel is from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Growing up on the island of Borneo, environmental sustainability has always been important to her. On campus, she has been deeply involved in Boston University's sustainability efforts and has supported projects, focusing on circular economy, low carbon dining, vertical farming, and city resilience to climate change disasters. Rachel also manages Boston University's First Year Innovation Fellowship Cohort, where she provides support to help scale student-led startups.

In her free time, Rachel enjoys gardening, dancing classical ballet, photography, and having good conversations on sunny days. Her favorite ocean memory is watching baby leatherback turtles hatch with her mom on the beach of Lankayan Island.

Prior to joining SOA full-time, Ben worked for the innovation studio of BNP Paribas in San Francisco. In this tenure, he would provide advisory services to the Bank and large European corporations on their open innovation and startups engagement strategies.

He is the author of the first study dedicated to Ocean Technology startups, and was invited to share his work in various media and events such as Hello Tomorrow and La Mer XXL. Benjamin lived for more than 10 years in Canada and in the US and is knowledgeable about both North American and European business ecosystems. Benjamin enjoys spending his free time sailing and surfing.

As a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, she worked with NOAA leadership to respond to the agency's tasks under President Obama's Climate Action Plan. She highly values interdisciplinary collaboration and working across cultures, and geeks out over innovative solutions to environmental challenges.

She holds a M.S. in Marine Estuarine Environmental Science from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and a B.S. in Soil, Environmental, and Atmospheric Science from the University of Missouri. She is also an avid scuba diver, bird watcher, swimmer, and yoga practitioner. She is currently based in Barcelona, Spain.

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He currently serves as a Senior Policy Fellow for Ocean and Climate with the Aspen Institute’s Energy & Environment Program and runs an independent consulting business supporting clients in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors with their government relations, convening, and policy development needs. Prior to joining Aspen in 2018, he launched the ocean policy program at the Center for American Progress after spending five years supporting Senator Olympia Snowe (R, ME) as the lead staffer on the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard. Mike prioritizes relationships, listening, and mediation in his work which centers on the belief that compromise and collaboration are fundamental to durable policy solutions. Mike holds an M.A. in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island and a B.A. in English Literature from Georgetown University and now lives in South Portland, Maine with his lobster-catching wife, D&D obsessed teenage son, and frisbee-chasing chocolate lab.

She specializes in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environment, social, and governance (ESG) communications, with particular focus on climate and technology. She has worked with the United Nations, IBM, GE, the Skoll Foundation, Boeing, SaaStr, Tableau, and more.

She has worked with governments, communities, non-profits, academia, and the private sector. She is passionate about catalyzing innovation and collaboration to drive sustainability and impact, building a bridge between people and the environment.

Over the past 10 years, Eugenia had an active role in several environmental volunteering projects, from national to international organizations. With a core focus on science communication, she had organized community events such as beach cleanups, informative talks, screenings, debates and art exhibitions in order to involve different elements of our society in the ocean revolution that our planet is asking for. Eugenia was the Portuguese Delegate at Youth Advisory Council from World Oceans Day (2016-2018). Now she also works as an All-Atlantic Youth Ambassador with the support of Ciência Viva.

Daniel has been an ocean adviser for presidential candidate Veronika Mendoza, and currently is trusted personnel for the Peruvian Congress where with Congressman Ed Malaga and the climate change commision are proposing the first deep seabed mining moratorium bill in Latin America. 

Daniel has been a youth delegate for Our Ocean 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, and has been part of the official peruvian delegation for COP 22, 23, 25 and 26. In 2015 he was the youngest divemaster in the country, in 2016 he won the Hreljac medal for being the young person with the most impact in the sustainable development of the country and in 2017 he won the agent of change award by Scientific University of the South. 

Last year, Mark interned with NOAA at the the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument where he composed a science review on translocation as a conservation tool for species threatened by climate change. He is an active Ocean Leader with Sustainable Ocean Alliance, which has taken him to Malta, Alaska, and Norway. He holds executive leadership positions with College Democrats of America and Florida College Democrats.

She has recently joined the Sustainable Oceans Alliance as the Pacific Island Representative. The main objective of her role is to increase the presence of SOA in the Pacific and provide an engaging platform for youths from the Pacific to engage more effectively in the Oceans space both regionally and internationally. As a Green Ticket recipient to the Youth Climate Action Summit in New York on 21 September 2019, she was part of the opening plenary, sharing the stage with United Nations Secretary-General, H.E. Antonio Guterres and leading youth activist, Greta Thunberg, where she represented Fiji and the Pacific and YOUNGO.

As a marine biologist, she worked at LAMAVE, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of marine megafauna and the marine environment in the Philippines. Initially, her focus is on the elasmobranch mainly the life history and reproductive biology Mobula ray fishery in the Bohol sea. She then went on leading a team of multicultural researchers studying the sea turtle population at Apo Island Philippines and building the National Turtle Catalog.
While putting effort into the conservation of marine life MJ notice the lack of economic opportunities faced by women in the coastal communities. Hence, she founded Tagpi-Tagpi-Tagpi (a Filipino word for patching things together) a circular economy initiative that will grow women-led business in coastal communities in the coral triangle through personal initiative training. Since its pilot in February 2020, she has trained (3 )coastal communities and upcycled more than 4000 pieces of jeans and clothes. MJ received grants that provide more opportunities for women in times of pandemic notably Experential Professional Development Fellowship and Grants by East-West Center and Ocean Solutions Microgrants by Sustainable Ocean Alliance.

MJ is passionate about organic gardening, women empowerment, mentoring youth leaders, and mindfulness. Her family already accepted that she have develop gills with her craziness about life under the sea.

His  passion for the environment started out with a love of the natural world and evolved in an elaborate network of beliefs about the importance of environmental protection and of reversing some of the harm that we humans had done to the Earth. Perise has led several community projects, and is plastic pollution Activist   He is popularly known as the “plastic man" due to his efforts to raise awareness on the issue of plastic pollution.  He acknowledges that youth can bring remarkable change to their community if they are given opportunity and can  work together. It is his  aim to share his passion with others in his community and in the continent of Africa. 

Throughout Khadija's environmental journey, she has represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 8th World Water Forum with the World Youth Parliament for Water in 2018, at the Peace Boat Ocean and Climate Youth Ambassador Program in 2019 and at the Our Ocean Youth Leadership Summit in Oslo with Sustainable Ocean Alliance.

Khadija is the founder of Ecovybz Environmental Creatives—a company focused on educating the public through environmental content creation and powerful storytelling initiatives focused on Climate Change, Ocean Conservation and Water Resources. She has lent her voice and stories to several initiatives worldwide with Peace Boat, Global Water Partnership and UNESCO Caribbean all focused on SDG6, 13 and 14. Her biggest project to date is the Caribbean Ocean Perspective Initiative.  Equipping youth with the knowledge to be effective agents of change is at the core of Khadija's work. She is also the host of the EcoVybz Podcast and the Caribbean Regional Representative for Sustainable Ocean Alliance.

RL has helped brands like Nike, Google, Coors, Clif Bar, Nature’s Path, Intel, Brita and Dr. Scholl’s pushing organizations to new heights in an effort to maximize their potential. He cut his teeth in the ad world as a strategist working with agencies including TBWA Chiat Day, JWT, BBD, HAVAS, Razorfish, AKQA and Mcgarrybowen to his client experience at Nike, Clif Bar and Nature’s Path. 

Prior to Farm League, RL was the President of McgarryBowen to pioneering creative and innovation at Nike through leading the Explore Team, Digital and Sustainable design practices. These efforts ranged from the launch of Nike training club and the implementation of the NYC store to advising Nike’s sustainable practice. Today’s RL expands on his passion for sustainability through all facets of his life personally and professionally. 

A New York native who fell in love with California and mountain life, RL now lives with his partner in Marin, CA.

Harrison is also a full stack web applications engineer, which has given him a deep technical understanding, and the skills to be able to solve problems at scale. In addition to his engineering and product management background, Harrison is also a designer and is able to express complex ideas visually, understand customers' motives and desires, as well as evaluate a product/process from a high-level aggregate to granular perspective.

In his capacity as Advisory Board Member & Blockchain Advisor position at SOA, Harrison will help identify both development opportunities and grant opportunities - as well as help guide any blockchain initiatives. In addition, Harrison will facilitate the education of the SOA team to better understand the blockchain landscape and to increase crypto-literacy. Lastly, Harrison is serving as a SOA mentor to SOA startups and young leaders and assisting in building partnerships so that SOA emerges as a thought leader at the nexus of blockchain innovation and environmental action.

From 2007-2014 Steve served as President and CEO of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Prior to his time at the Moore Foundation, Steve worked at The Nature Conservancy for 32 years, including as its President and CEO overseeing operations in 30 countries as well as every state in the U.S.

A leader in the social innovation sector, Steve has served on numerous boards, including of the California Academy of Sciences, Sustainable Conservation, The Independent Sector, the Student Conservation Association, and the Advisory Boards of the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative and U.C. Berkeley College of Natural Resources.