Rising Tide Summit Podcast

Alison Teal, Time Magazine’s Female Indiana Jones, and O Magazine’s Oprah Of Adventure, travels the world seeking out the greatest myths, mysteries, and legends on earth. A lifelong explorer and professional filmmaker she shares her films and photos through her blog, Youtube, and social media. With a mission to educate through entertainment, Alison’s Adventures series inspires millions across the globe through her storytelling and humor that captivates audiences of all ages. Supported by XPRIZE Foundation, AltaSea and HDXMix.com

Co-Founder and former CEO of Quiksilver, Bob McKnight joined us for a Q&A where we discussed the early stages of building the Quiksilver brand but also how it pioneered some key environmental initiatives. The brand has now restructured and is launching the Boardriders Foundation as a way to give back to the communities involved in surfing. Supported by XPRIZE Foundation, AltaSea and HDXMix.com

Matt Mulrennan (Moderator) Director, Ocean Initiative, XPRIZE Foundation Liane Thompson (Speaker) CEO, Aquaai Scotty Schmidt (Speaker) CEO, Primary Ocean Lindsay Cruver (Speaker) Director of Research and Development, Catalina Sea Ranch Description By 2050 the planet will have 9 billion people and the demand for food will be 60% greater. One of the challenges that AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles is trying to solve is global food insecurity by looking to the ocean for sustainable ways to feed the planet. The Los Angeles harbor was once the nation’s capital for tuna with 400 fishing boats at dock and numerous seafood canneries throughout the port. Today there are less than 30 boats and the tuna business has mostly disappeared. AltaSea partners such as Catalina Sea Ranch, Primary Ocean Producers, and Aquaai lead a panel discussion on their goal to create sustainable aquaculture practices that will help meet the food security challenges of the 21st Century. Supported by XPRIZE Foundation, AltaSea and HDXMix.com

Ryan Ashton (Moderator) Director of Development, Aquarium of the Pacific Description Kris Primacio (Speaker) Executive Director, International Surf Therapy Organization Sean Swentek (Speaker) Executive Director, A Walk On Water Steve Mount (Speaker) Former Commanding Officer, Wounded Warrior Battalion - West, USMC (Retired) Anxiety, stress, and depression are the leading causes of illnesses worldwide; so much so the UN has made "Good Health and Well-being" #3 on its list of Sustainable Development Goals. The Surf Therapy sector's vision is to create a world where the lives of people dealing with physical, mental and social disadvantages are enhanced through the therapeutic benefits of surfing and a healthy, clean ocean. Supported by XPRIZE Foundation, AltaSea and HDXMix.com

Melissa Aguayo, Advocacy and Education Director, The 5 Gyres Institute Trash Blitz evaluates plastic pollution throughout the watershed and near shore environments using both citizen and rigorous science. Results from the pilot project will be used to create a toolkit for other cities to follow. Melissa will share how the toolkit will help cities make more informed and targeted policy decisions to stop the flow of plastic pollution from source to sea. Supported by XPRIZE Foundation, AltaSea and HDXMix.com

Emy Kane, Director of Digital Strategy, Lonely Whale Ocean Heroes Bootcamp empowers existing and emerging youth leaders to create their own campaigns to take action against ocean plastic pollution. Learn what's in store for this program in 2019 and beyond. Supported by XPRIZE Foundation, AltaSea and HDXMix.com

Tim McOsker (Speaker) AltaSea AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles is working on building the world’s most innovative ocean research campus on the waterfront in San Pedro. The institute’s vision is to turn to the ocean to develop solutions for some of the planet’s most pressing challenges, such as climate change, energy supply and global food security. CEO, Tim McOsker is providing an update on the organization, which was first presented to Rising Tide guests at the 2018 Summit. Supported by XPRIZE Foundation, AltaSea and HDXMix.com

Evelyn Wendel, Founding Director, WeTap Access to potable water is an important foundation for thriving civilizations. In modern urban sprawl, well maintained public drinking fountains is a much overlooked yet critical element to healthy environments. With strong, civic tap water access and robust climate and public health policy discussions, integrated solutions will positively impact present and future generations. With thorough approaches, WeTap improves awareness, access and use of public drinking fountains, such as with the WeTap drinking fountain finder app and helping bridge gaps to encourage and support collective focus on this much needed tap water link. Supported by XPRIZE Foundation, AltaSea and HDXMix.com

Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff (Speaker) Founder & CEO, Lincoln Sarnoff Consulting Christian Cullinane (Speaker) Managing Director - Consumer Brands, Xeros Technology Group PLC Derek Sabori (Speaker) Sustainability Advisor/Educator, Kozm Brands are eager to embrace new recyclable synthetic fabrics to achieve greater sustainability in performance textiles. But what is their impact on the environment? This panel discussion focuses on the big plastic pollution picture, where apparel is connected, and how we can embrace innovation while still making sure our planet is protected. Supported by XPRIZE Foundation, AltaSea and HDXMix.com

Angela Sun (Moderator) Journalist Ryan H Harris (Speaker) Founder, Earth Technologies Surfing is tightly connected to ocean healthy. But shaping surfboards also creates a considerable amount of toxic waste, that is until now. Enter Earth Technologies, recognized as the first zero waste surfboard factory. This breakthrough is reshaping how surfboards are manufactured and the process has potential to reach into other industries for bigger impact. In this Q&A, we'll learn more about how this idea came to be and where its headed! Supported by XPRIZE Foundation, AltaSea and HDXMix.com

Nancy Downes (Moderator) Southern California Campaign Manager at Oceana, Oceana Kurt Bjorkman (Speaker) General Manager, The Ranch at Laguna Beach Zach Weisberg (Speaker) Founder and CEO, The Inertia Mike Matey (Speaker) VP Marketing , Reef The Pacific ocean and coast sustains our economies and communities. That’s why California, Oregon, and Washington are investing in clean energy technologies that can power our homes and businesses without risking our fishing, tourism, and outdoor industries. The Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast is opposed to new or expanded offshore oil drilling. This panel will be comprised of business leaders talking about the action they're taking to make this alliance a powerful new tool to combat offshore oil drilling off the West Coast. The alliance is also quickly becoming a great example of how a coalition of non-profits and businesses across three states are able to work in collaboration. Supported by XPRIZE Foundation, AltaSea and HDXMix.com

Peter Abraham, Founder of Abraham Studio, has spent the last 30 years creating high profile marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 brands. Red Bull, Nike, Toyota, lululemon, and Whole Foods have all depended on Peter to generate impact and results with his work. His experience spans TV commercials, huge live events like the LA Marathon, and advising CEOs on strategy and creating purpose-driven brands. He also serves on non-profit boards and mentors NGO leaders on how to create an impactful brand and use contemporary tools for marketing. A lifelong environmentalist and surfer, Peter will guide participants through a proven five part process to not only articulate their mission but to also create a marketing plan scaled to fit their budget and audience. This workshop is for anyone in the NGO space who wants to accelerate the growth of their organization. This workshop will help you: + Articulate your mission and purpose + Align marketing with your organization and your community + Amplify the message by using contemporary media channels Supported by XPRIZE Foundation, AltaSea and HDX Mix

On Wednesday August 22, local Orange County community members and experts led a forum to discuss how a healthy ocean impacts their lives and how they can work with their elected leaders to protect the California coast. Get involved and join the Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast at DefendThePacific.org.

On this special episode of the Rising Tide Summit podcast we are joined by Nathaniel Stinnett, the founder of the Environmental Voter Project. He’s been hailed as a "visionary" by The New York Times, and dubbed "The Voting Guru" by Grist magazine and he’s focusing on getting get more environmentalists to vote in every election. On this episode we learn that over 15 million identifiable environmentalists have stayed at home on Election Day. And while tens of millions of Americans strongly prioritize progressive environmental policies – the real problem is that these people do not vote. We wanted to learn why this was the case and what Nathaniel and his team at Environmental Voter Project are doing to get more people involved in the political process. Learn more at www.environmentalvoter.org

This panel will explore businesses with green initiatives baked into their DNA. Panelist will discuss the challenges of renewable manufacturing, how the products are marketed alongside an eco message, and what opportunities and challenges businesses face while trying to compete and stand out in a sea of sameness. Panelists: Katherine Terrell, Founder, Jeux De Vagues and Mateo Neri from 8HZ.

This presentation will share the strategies employed to create a public-facing campaign that gave rise to the global straw movement and the behind the scenes efforts Lonely Whale engaged in to create a platform for positive change upon which Starbucks could announce its commitment to eliminating non-recyclable single-use plastic straws. The reasons why Starbucks failed to commit publicly and what resulted from their lack of leadership will be discussed as a case study for future campaigns.

With previous generations failing to foresee the prevailing plastic pollution crisis, a new generation has come together to demand we address this issue head-on. Utilizing advocacy platforms built by leading plastic pollution organizations, youth are connecting across the globe to amplify their voices and efforts.

Launching a Mobile Age for the Ocean Economy with Matt Mulrennan, Director of the Ocean Initiative at the XPRIZE Foundation. Learn about how the XPRIZE Ocean Initiative is inspiring solutions to the oceans grand challenges. Hear from winning teams in XPRIZE's Big Ocean Button Challenge – a mobile app development competition to turn ocean data into the services we need. Modertated by Matt Mulrennan Panelists: Jonsen Carmack, SeaStatus & Nik Strong-Cvetich, Save The Waves Coalition

Why Businesses Should Support Ocean Friendly Legislation with Lisa Kaas Boyle, Environmental Attorney and Legal Policy Expert. The talk will focus on how legislation can level the playing field by requiring best management practices to reduce ocean pollution, thereby taking away cost incentives to rivals undercutting with polluting materials and practices that destroy our natural resources. Legislating pollution reduction leads to innovation, cost reductions and prolonged business sustainability. Finally, there are immediate benefits to supporting legislative solutions and implementing changes as environmental leadership increases sales and customer loyalty.

Today’s consumers are looking for more than great products or services. They want to feel connected to you, your brand promise, and your social values. In this insightful and entertaining workshop, discover the power of connecting three critical factors: TEAM, BRAND, and CAUSE. You’ll learn pivotal one-degree strategies to bring these three areas into synergistic alignment. This creates a framework for success in all facets of your organization.

Age of Activism: Rise of Brand Citizenship with Jim Moriarty, Director of Brand Citizenship at 72andSunny. While forces converge in front of our eyes, activism is red-lining and shifting the game for brands large and small. Sugar-high, ephemeral marketing is no longer enough - people are demanding to know why a brand exists. This is good news for brands at the front-end of this shift and mortally bad news for laggards. Join Jim Moriarty, Director of Brand Citizenship at 72andSunny, as he explains the rise of brand citizenship - the idea of advancing a business while also advancing society, while also exploring how this shift came about and outlining best practices embraced by the leaders in today's marketplace.

Getting from Conservation to Commercialization: Creating the Business Case for Ocean Innovation with Ann Carpenter, CEO at Braid Theory and Jack Baric, Media Consultant for AltaSea.

Conscious Capitalism: How Clean Water and Healthy Beaches Drive Our Economy with Chad Nelsen, CEO of Surfrider Foundation. Join Surfrider CEO, Chad Nelsen as he discusses the value of our coasts to Californie's economy with business leaders in the hotel, residential and commerccial real estate industries.

Changing the Narrative to Solve Climate Change with Kevin Whilden, Co-Founder at Sustainable Surf & Eddy Garcia Founder, Living Earth Systems. How can we change the narrative around climate change, so that more people and business are actively engaged in finding solutions? Most discussion around climate change uses negative imagery to inspire action, which leads to disconnection and disengagement. However a small group of sustainable surfers are creating a new narrative, in which reducing their carbon footprint is a byproduct of decisions that directly improve economic and social well-being. Examples of regenerative agriculture and sustainable surfboard industry will be used to illustrate a systems-change approach that can achieve rapid results.

Turning The Tide Towards Greener and Bluer Business Practices in the Restaurant World with Sarah Sikich, Vice President, Heal the Bay. With the rising societal awareness and demand for socially and environmentally conscious business practices, many restaurants and food purveyors are updating their practices to improve sustainability. Learn about what business leaders are doing in response to customer, shareholder, regulatory, and consumer demands to reduce their plastic pollution footprint and shift to sustainable seafood options. Panelists will discuss opportunities, challenges, and consumer response.

Dr. Marcus Eriksen will share the newly published BAN List 2.0, a snap shot of the top 20 plastic products polluting the land and waterways in the US, but also an in-depth look at the role of bioplastics in society. BAN List 2.0 outlines what the "Better Alternatives Now" should be in order to keep our land and sea free of plastic pollution.

Space exploration in the 20th Century gave rise to a massive aerospace industry in California. It all started with our mission to put a man on the moon and today we take for granted the cell phones in our pockets, laptops on our desks, and satellite televisions in our living rooms – all products that few could imagine and which were made possible by our bold passion to explore. The 21st Century will be the era of the oceans as the new pioneers among us go to the 90% of the ocean yet to be discovered. These explorations have given rise to the field of underwater robotics that are critical tools needed as we turn to our ocean to solve major challenges such as energy supply, climate change, and global food security. As we increasingly turn to our ocean for our needs, we also have a new massive opportunity to create jobs as part of the Blue Economy. AltaSea executive director, Jenny Krusoe and CEO, Tim McOsker will discuss what the Blue Economy is and how California is the place where it should happen. Unleash your imagination, there’s a new wave coming.