🌊 The Ocean Awakens @ Climate Week NYC 2025
The Climate Week NYC Ocean Action Hub ⚓ for Corporations, Startups & Nonprofits
Join us aboard the historic Tall Ship Wavertree at the South Street Seaport for an inspiring afternoon dedicated to ocean action during Climate Week NYC.
This half-day event will bring together corporations, startups, and nonprofits to explore how business, innovation, science, and storytelling can work together to protect and restore our ocean.
Through a series of dynamic panels and networking, we’ll dive into corporate engagement, cutting-edge innovations, restoration efforts, and powerful narratives that mobilize action.
Whether you work in sustainability, policy, science, or advocacy — this is your ocean hub for Climate Week!
📅 Schedule
Welcome & Opening Remarks
🕔 2:30 PM Check-in
🕔 3:00 PM Introduction
Fabien Lamaison, Director, Plastic Odyssey Fund
Zak Risinger, Director of Engagement and Public Programs, South Street Seaport Museum
Alex Dechelotte, Co-founder & COO, Plastic Odyssey
🕔 3:15 PM Opening Remarks
Daniela Fernandez, Founder & CEO, Velamar
Episode I – A New Wave
🕔 3:30 PM – Corporate Ocean Engagement in Action
Exploring how companies are driving ocean-positive impact through philanthropy, CSR, employee engagement, and partnerships.
Emy Kane, Executive Director, Lonely Whale
Jeremy Pochman, Co-founder & CEO, 11th hour Racing
Moderated by Nicolette Van Exel, Founder & CEO, Exel Impact
Episode II – Return of the Supply
🕔 4:15 PM – Corporate Ocean Innovation in Action
Featuring solutions to reduce supply chain impact, from sail cargo shipping to plastic circularity and new materials.
Michael Fernandez-Ferri, Co-founder & Managing Director, Vela
Julia Marsh, CEO & Co-founder, Sway
Moderated by Lea d'Auriol, Founder & Executive Director, Oceanic Global
Episode III – The Ocean Strikes Back
🕔 5:15 PM – Ocean Restoration & Research in Action
Showcasing science, fieldwork, and initiatives tackling the legacy of ocean plastic pollution and regenerating marine ecosystems.
Sarah Hameed, Blue Parks Director & Senior Scientist, Marine Conservation Institute
Alex Dechelotte, Co-founder & COO, Plastic Odyssey
Mitchelle De Leon, Chief Impact Officer, SkyTruth
Moderated by Omar Sadoon, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Planetary
Episode IV – Rogue Waves
🕔 6:00 PM Special Guest
Benjamin Von Wong, Artist + Activist, Von Wong
🕔 6:15 PM Ocean Storytelling in Action
An immersive experience that showcases how media, film, and cultural narratives inspire both public and corporate audiences to act for the ocean!
Andi Cross, Co-founder & Expedition Lead, Edges of Earth,
Ana Blanco, Executive Director, International Ocean Film Festival
Hanna Dijkstra, Plastic Scientist & Educator, Plastic Odyssey
Stage host: Mark Haver, Advocate for Action on Climate, Ocean's Warrior, and Global Policy Advisor, Sustainable Ocean Alliance
Networking
🕔 6:45 PM – Networking Reception
An open-air gathering on the Wavertree deck to connect, share ideas, and spark collaborations!
🕔 8:00 PM - END
🤝 Sponsors
Special thanks to the South Street Seaport Museum for their generous partnership in making the Wavertree available as our venue — an iconic and inspiring stage for this event.
Special thanks as well to Open Water for keeping us hydrated with their generous support.
Special thanks as well to Massat Group for their ongoing support and partnership, helping us grow our impact in the U.S.
💖 Support our organizations
About South Street Seaport Museum: The South Street Seaport Museum, located in the heart of the historic Seaport District, preserves and interprets the history of New York as a great port city. Founded in 1967, the Seaport Museum includes an extensive collection of works of art and artifacts, a maritime reference library, galleries, working 19th-century print shop, and a fleet of historic vessels that all work to tell the story of “Where New York Begins.”
About Plastic Odyssey: Plastic Odyssey has set out to help solve - and raise global awareness around - the devastating human and environmental impacts of plastic pollution. Through a unique and multifaceted approach, we are:
(1) Advancing innovative, affordable solutions to recycle and transform plastic waste into valuable materials;
(2) Supporting local communities, economies and entrepreneurs worldwide where resource recovery is in high demand; and
(3) Working to restore biodiverse ecosystems.
Our goal is to create a global network of recycling initiatives that help support local economies and lead to lasting change.
About Plastic Odyssey Fund: Plastic Odyssey Fund is a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation headquartered in San Francisco. The fund was created with the mission to combat plastic pollution by engaging U.S. philanthropies, corporations, governments, and individual donors and joining them with the projects undertaken by Plastic Odyssey through its entities Plastic Odyssey Foundation, and Plastic Odyssey Expedition. Through this initiative, Plastic Odyssey Fund will help scale innovative solutions, protect ocean ecosystems, and raise awareness in the blue economy. Plastic Odyssey Fund is also part of the 9Zero climate community. For more information or to donate, visit www.plasticodyssey.fund.