Ocean Uprise speaker sessions
Photo courtesy of Jordan Marie Daniel
Ocean experts from around the world were invited to share their stories in a virtual small group setting.
Previous speakers have included: shark advocate Mike Coots, surf collective Textured Waves, and Pulitzer Prize recipient Robin McDowell, and many more. Youth from diverse backgrounds, cultures, styles and locations are invited to tune in and participate in group discussions after each talk. Check out the recorded sessions at Parley's Ocean School Portal.
PAST TALKS INCLUDE
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Carissa Cabrera
For the past 10 years, Carissa has focused on ocean recovery efforts related to endangered species, ecosystem restoration, conservation financing, community outreach, and environmental literacy. With her love for protecting the planet, she co-founded The Conservationist Collective, an environmental storytelling platform dedicated to informing and inspiring others to find their unique place in the environmental movement.
Carissa’s work, company, and media projects are united by a shared goal to increase accessibility to climate education and accelerate conservation action on a global scale.
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Inês Silva Araújo
Inês was born in a small Portuguese town by the ocean called Moledo do Minho. She holds a master's in Strategic Communication and lived for a time in Brazil, as well as in Ireland, where she worked at the Portuguese Embassy in Dublin. Her most challenging experience was in India, where she taught English to underprivileged kids. She’s passionate about communications and youth engagement and currently holds the title of Co-Chair at Y2Y’s Global Youth Climate Network, where she supports youth by elevating their voices and encouraging them to take climate action.
Raquel Gaião Silva
Raquel Silva holds a BS in Biology and an International MSc in Biodiversity and Marine Conservation. Currently, she works as an associate at Faber, in a fund that invests in young technology-based startups with a high positive impact on ocean sustainability, climate action and the decarbonization of the economy. Her main areas of interest stand on the bridge between marine science and society, specially knowledge transfer for the sustainable Blue Entrepreneurship and Ocean Literacy.
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Alannah Vellacott
Alannah Vellacott is a marine ecologist, science communicator and ocean advocate with 11 years of experience working in marine research, conservation and education in the Bahamas and the Caribbean. A PADI scuba instructor with 17 years of experience in diving, Alannah has worked on a variety of marine research and outreach projects. Some of her experiences include conducting AGRRA coral and fish surveys, reef restoration, conch population research, shipwreck mapping, and blue hole ethnography.
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Easkey Britton
Dr. Easkey Britton is a renowned Irish surfer, marine social scientist, writer, artist, and ocean leader. Her work explores the relationship between people and nature, especially water environments. Her ground-breaking journey to Iran in 2013 introduced the sport of surfing to women and local communities and is featured in the award-winning documentary film, Into the Sea. Make sure to check out her new extraordinary book Saltwater in the Blood and follow her @easkeysurf.
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Zane Kekoa Schweitzer
With 15 World Championship Event Wins this 2x Ultimate Waterman leads a full and present life. As a past OU Summit Leader and Speaker, Zane is an ocean activist at heart! When he’s not surfing, standup paddling or foiling, he might be gliding through the wind kitesurfing or windsurfing. One of his favorite pastimes is diving in the beautiful waters of Maui. He enjoys paddling, swimming or body surfing and is most at home in the ocean.
Kimberly Schweitzer
Kimy is an ocean-lover born and raised in Maui. As a waterwoman, actress and model Kimy expresses her love to mother ocean on a daily basis. She has found solace, peace and love in the ocean and will continue to explore its beauty and mystery.
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Sruthi Gurudev
Sruthi is an ocean conservationist, eco-journalist, and the editor in chief of An Hour in the Deep – a youth led e-magazine that explores solutions to ocean issues. She is a National Geographic Young Explorer, a World Oceans Day Youth Advisory Council member, a Reserva YLT council member and a Sustainable Ocean Alliance Grantee. She seeks to empower youth to “find their niche” in the fight to protect our oceans. Ultimately, by engaging in eco-journalism, she believes that youth can have a stronger role in their environmental journey.
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CJ Pérez
Born and raised on O'ahu, Hawai'i, CJ began sailing when she was 13 years old. With a competitive spirit and fast growth in the sport, she snatched an Open Skiff World and North American Championship title within her first 3 years on the water. CJ is the youngest sailor, at just 18 years old, to ever join the SailGP league, as well as the first ever latina. She has goals of helming the SailGP and America's Cup boats one day and will continue her training through the Moth and WASZP Class.
Magnus Frohmann
Magnus Frohmann is an 18 year old sailor and environmentalist. He has helped organize SailGP’s Inspire Waszp Racing Program, won 13 medals at international youth sailing events, and is a part of Denmark’s Star Sailors League team. For the last two years, Magnus has been a representative at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, bringing information on his work to youth and politicians around the world as he seeks to spark positive change for the oceans.
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Drew Mcwhirter
Drew McWhirter has channelled his passion for the oceans into finding solutions that address marine plastic pollution. As a Master of Science in Marine Science student at Hawaiï Pacific University, he focuses his research on the composition and origin of Ghost Nets in Hawaii. Furthermore, Drew has worked with NOAA as a Marine Debris Technician in their Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center--completing multiple research and field expeditions. Having been deeply immersed in the field of marine plastic pollution for the past 4 years, Drew is eager to share his experiences and collaborate on solutions that address this global phenomenon.
Mau Otero
Mau Otero is one of the most effervescent phenomenons on TikTok. His passion for extreme sports and life can only be compared to the love that he has for sharing the nature of the world we live in. Through his social media, Mau shows us a world full of incredible journeys, landscapes and adventures, reminding us every day how wonderful our planet is.
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Amy Meek
Along with her sister Ella, Amy Meek (18) co-founded an award-winning campaign called Kids Against Plastic. The movement has since sparked the formation of a charity, and Amy works tirelessly to raise awareness of the negative effects of petroleum plastic on the environment in everyone from youth to diplomats. She has helped over 1,100 schools and businesses become Plastic Clever and has collected over 96,000 pieces of plastic litter.
Michelle Muchilwa
Michelle Muchilwa (16) is passionate about helping countries grow their economies without obliterating their natural resources. She and her brother, Jeremy, started Osiepe Sango (Friends of Lake Victoria), an organization working towards restoring Lake Victoria toward more pristine conditions. They are now building an app to collect data on local plastic pollution. Michelle is also the Conrad Challenge Innovator and Technovation Regional Winner from Kisumu, Kenya.
Charlotte Firmenich
Charlotte Firmenich (18) is a diver, conservationist, and Marine & Coastal Sciences candidate at UC Davis. She is also the founder of @60secs4oceans on Instagram. This project and account feature short interviews with world-leading marine biologists and conservationists. Charlotte is also an enthusiastic supporter of SDG14.
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Shalise Leesfield
Shalise is a 14 year old Australian marine conservationist and scuba diver on a mission to help restore and protect the incredible world beneath the waves. Shalise focuses on using her voice to raise awareness about environmental issues, has gained a worldwide following and delivered a multitude of inspiring presentations including a TEDx talk in Sydney on “How a kids movement can save our planet.”
Kamakshi Bhavani
Kamaakshi is a 16 year old entrepreneur, award winning artist, certified diver, and founder of Youth Ocean Alliance. Her organisation focuses on creating a global network of young ocean ambassadors working on citizen science and ocean conservation projects. She has also tackled issues like teen mental health, STEM education for girls, coral bleaching, and biodiversity.
Finlay Pringle
Finlay is 13 year old marine conservationist, climate change activist, and Sea Shepherd Shark Ambassador who has campaigned to end shark captivity and ban the selling of shark fin soup and shark meat in restaurants in the UK. He was also awarded the Young Animal Hero of the year in 2019.
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Robin Mcdowell
Robin McDowell is an investigative reporter who won the Pulitzer Prize in Public Service in 2016 for her team’s international investigation of the fishing industry in Southeast Asia. Taking on great personal risk as she traced labor trafficked seafood to U.S. supermarkets and pet food providers, her work led to dozens of arrests, the seizure of ships worth millions, and the introduction of legislation in the U.S. Congress. She continues her impactful work today, investigating social and environmental crises across the world.
Esther Htusan
Esther Htusan is an esteemed investigative journalist from Myanmar. In 2015, Margie Mason, Robin McDowell, Martha Mendoza and Esther Htusan, a four-women investigative team revealed stories of enslaved fishermen; some were locked in a cage asking to go home, some buried without family's knowledge, and those living under constant fear of reprisals. The investigation spurred the release of more than 2,000 trapped fishermen.
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Cyrill Gutsch
Cyrill Gutsch is an award-winning designer and brand/ product developer. In 1998, he created a method called Cross Intelligence, which brings a culture of collaboration to major organizations. In 2012, he decided to focus on a new client vital to us all: the oceans. He founded Parley for the Oceans as a collaboration network for creators, thinkers and leaders to raise awareness for the beauty and fragility of the oceans and to develop and implement strategies that can end their destruction.
Bodhi Patil
Bodhi Patil is the Youth Team Leader at Parley and has co-created Ocean Uprise with an incredible group of ocean guardians from across the seven seas. He discovered his passion for motivating young people and promoting ocean and human health while teaching mindfulness at an orphanage, counseling at a skimboard camp, and playing all sorts of water sports.
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Hannah Testa (18)
Hannah is a sustainability advocate, TEDx speaker, author, and founder of Hannah4Change, a non-profit dedicated to fighting issues that impact the planet. Through environmental education, awareness, and policy work, Hannah has tackled plastic pollution at every level, from spearheading Plastic Pollution Awareness Day in 2017 to presenting to over 300,000 children and adults on reducing plastic consumption.
Forbi Perise (24)
Forbi is a Cameroonian advocate and coordinator of “Greening Forward Cameroon ”, locally known as the “plastic man”. As a youth leader and ocean enthusiast, he has led plastic free initiatives, clean ups, and marine conservation projects. He is the President of the Environmental Science Students Association of the University of Buea, Cameroon.
Dyson Chee (19)
Dyson is the founder of Project O.C.E.A.N Hawai‘i and the Advocacy Director for the Hawaiʻi Youth Climate Coalition, a youth-led climate organization. A full-time ocean activist, Dyson presents at schools to raise awareness on marine plastic pollution and helped successfully pass Bill 40, a landmark comprehensive ban on single-use plastics in his home state of Hawai‘i.
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Ramón Navarro
Chilean big wave surfer Ramón Navarro is an ocean activist devoted to protecting the Chilean coastline and the vibrant surf culture that he grew up in. As the son of a fisherman, Ramón developed a deep sense of respect for the oceans and through his career as a surfer became committed to instilling the same sense of respect in the next generation, as we all protect what we know and love.
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Jordan Marie Daniel
Jordan is a proud Lakota Winyan from South Dakota and passionate advocate for Indigenous women and communities. She uses her platform as a professional runner to fight for justice and visibility as it intersects across all movements of climate, racial, social, and economic justice. Jordan is also the Founder and Director of Rising Hearts, a grassroots organization devoted to elevating Indigenous voices.
Alexis Saenz
Alexis is a creative indigenous climate activist who has led climate strikes and events to fight for a more just and equitable world. She will be representing the Intersectional Environmentalist youth panel of LA and teaching us why water = life.
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Textured Waves
Textured Waves is a surf collective devoted to supporting women of color and of underrepresented groups in the surfing world through inclusion, and camaraderie. Featured in everything from VOGUE to SURFER, this revolutionary group, founded by BIPOC surfers, is creating waves of change as they promote diversity in the water and build a powerful and inclusive community.
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Mike Coots
Mike is a surfer, photographer, shark attack survivor and shark advocate. In this talk and group discussion, we'll discuss his role as a shark-protection activist and the challenges of becoming an amputee surfing pioneer after his shark encounter.