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Ocean Visions Staff

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Brad Ack

Chief Executive Officer

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Laura Anderson

Program Officer, Reach

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Juliette Chausson

Program Director, Remove

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Amelia-Juliette Demery, Ph.D.

Program Officer, Science

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Craig Dudenhoeffer

Program Director, Launchpad

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Jessica Keith

Senior Communications Director

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David Koweek, Ph.D.

Chief Scientist

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Sarah Mastroni

Senior Program Officer

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Nikhil Neelakantan

Senior Program Officer Biography

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Jennifer Ruvolo

Director of Finance and Administration

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Ginny Selz, Ph.D.

Senior Program Director

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Bridget Shayka, Ph.D.

Program Officer

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Shannon Sutherland

Communications Officer

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Leonardo Valenzuela Pérez, Ph.D.

Senior Director, International Partnerships and Policy

For general inquiries

info@oceanvisions.org

For media-related inquiries
1019-B Edwards Ferry RD. #1024 Leesburg, VA 20176.

Note that Ocean Visions staff operate as a fully remote team with no physical office.

Brad Ack

Brad Ack has 35 years of experience working at the intersection of science, policy and environmental innovation, focused on the preservation of nature and a living world.  During his career he has designed and implemented innovative conservation and sustainability initiatives spanning tropical forests and high deserts to estuaries and the global ocean.  Brad has worked for both government and NGOs at senior levels.

Brad serves as Chief Executive Officer for Ocean Visions, an NGO at the center of a collaborative network of research institutions and innovators, investors, and practitioners of ocean regeneration.  Ocean Visions is advancing a new agenda for the ocean, focused on directly addressing the greatest cause of harm – greenhouse gas pollution that is driving existential threats to the ocean.  Ocean Visions works across sectors and disciplines to unlock new intellectual and financial resources to source, develop and scale cutting-edge innovation to regenerate critical components of the ocean-climate system.

Previously Brad served as SVP Oceans at WWF-US; Executive Director of the Puget Sound Recovery Program for the State of Washington; and Regional Director-Americas for the Marine Stewardship Council.  He earlier led conservation programs at Grand Canyon Trust and started his career working on community-based conservation in Latin America.  Brad received his Master’s degree from Georgetown University and Bachelor’s degree at Macalester College.

Laura Anderson

Laura Anderson is a Program Officer for the Ocean Visions Reach program. She focuses on supporting the Global Ecosystem for Ocean Solutions (GEOS) program and strengthening cross-sectoral partnerships to help build a global ocean-climate solutions community. Before joining Ocean Visions, Laura was the Engagement Project Manager at the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, where she supported the Aquatic Blue Food Coalition, UN Ocean Decade Blue Food Futures Program, and Blue Food Assessment. She also consulted for the World Economic Forum’s Blue Food Partnership to support the writing and launch of its Global Sustainable Aquaculture Roadmap, and worked with the Seattle Aquarium as an Ocean Policy Assistant.

Laura received her M.A. in Earth Systems and B.S. in Biology (Marine Biology) from Stanford University. She currently lives in her hometown of Washington, D.C.
Juliette Chausson

Juliette Chausson is the Program Director for the Remove program at Ocean Visions, where she leads work to advance ocean-based pathways for greenhouse gas removal. She is a marine biologist and policy leader who has spent her career at the intersection of ocean science, climate, and environmental policy.

Prior to joining Ocean Visions, Juliette was a Chief Scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where she designed and led a range of ocean and climate-related initiatives, including multi-million-dollar oceanographic monitoring efforts across California and the U.S. Pacific Islands, the regional Marine Protection Permitting Program, and national standards to reduce pollution from commercial ships.  Through her work at the EPA, she contributed to the development of policy papers for the London Convention/London Protocol and evaluation of proposals for marine carbon dioxide removal research.

She went on to work with the State of California, partnering with local governments across the San Francisco Bay Area to advance coastal resilience and climate adaptation planning.

Juliette holds an M.Sc. in Marine Biology and Ecology from James Cook University in Australia and a B.A. & Sc. from McGill University in Canada and is fluent in French.

Amelia-Juliette Demery, Ph.D.

Amelia-Juliette “Amelia” Demery is a Program Officer at Ocean Visions, where she is responsible for leading and supporting key projects in the Reduce and Remove programs. Her expertise is in network analysis, focusing on ocean carbon dioxide removal, environmental justice, and building powerful coalitions for taking science and innovation forward. Before joining Ocean Visions, Amelia worked at the U.S. National Science Foundation as a Subject Matter Expert and coordinator for interagency ocean science initiatives, working on initiatives like the U.S. MCDR Research Strategy, Ocean Justice Strategy, and Environmental Justice Science, Data, and Research Plan, to name a few. She also served as the U.S. National Coordinator for the G7 Future of Our Seas and Ocean Initiative on international ocean observations dialogue and strategy. 
 
Amelia received her B.S. in Zoology from Cal Poly Polytechnic University, Pomona, her Master’s in Evolutionary Biology at San Diego State University, and her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University. Amelia currently lives in Santa Barbara, California

Craig Dudenhoeffer
Craig Dudenhoeffer is an ocean-climate innovation leader focused on building ecosystems that advance high-impact solutions. As Launchpad Program Director at Ocean Visions, he leads a platform designed to identify, evaluate, and support early-stage ocean-based solutions that address climate change, particularly in areas where pathways are complex, underdeveloped, or uncertain. Through this work, he helps accelerate the development of responsible, science-based approaches across carbon removal, emissions reduction, and ecosystem repair, while strengthening the broader community of innovators and experts needed to advance them.
Craig previously co-founded Sustainable Ocean Alliance, where he built and scaled the Ocean Solutions Accelerator and led more than 70 early-stage investments. He is also the founder of the Tidal Impact Fund and a co-founder of Seabird Ventures. His work spans venture strategy, ecosystem development, and impact measurement for ocean solutions. He holds a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and an M.S. in Coastal Science and Policy from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Jessica Keith

Jessica Keith is a cause-driven communications leader with more than 20 years of experience in the environmental nonprofit sector.

As Senior Communications Director for Ocean Visions, she leads the planning and implementation of communication strategies and tactics that raise the profile of Ocean Visions with target audiences and expand support for its mission to develop innovative solutions at the ocean-climate nexus.

Prior to Ocean Visions, Jessica spent more than 15 years with The Nature Conservancy, where she worked as part of the regional leadership team to develop and execute integrated marketing and media programs to advance conservation, policy, and fundraising priorities.

Her areas of expertise include strategic planning, editorial strategy, content development, earned media, donor/member engagement, digital marketing, and project management.

Jessica has a B.S. in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University, where she majored in Environmental Communication, Education, and Interpretation.

David Koweek, Ph.D.

David Koweek, PhD is Chief Scientist at Ocean Visions, where he is responsible for ensuring scientific accuracy and integrity around the research, policy, and climate solutions developing at the intersection of ocean conservation and climate change. He is a leading authority on the potential of ocean-climate solutions and serves on leadership boards and panels internationally. Trained as a marine and Earth system scientist, he has led and participated in field expeditions around the world. He holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University, a B.S. from Brown University, and conducted postdoctoral research at the Carnegie Institution for Science.

Sarah Mastroni

Sarah Mastroni is a Senior Program Officer at Ocean Visions where she is responsible for leading and supporting the development of key projects, products, and activities. Sarah has a background in intertidal research, investigating impacts of climate change in California and Alaskan intertidal systems. Before joining Ocean Visions, Sarah worked with Blue Ocean Barns as a Policy Analyst to help navigate their integration of methane-reducing red seaweed into cattle feed across the United States.  She received her B.S. from UCLA where she studied Marine Biology and Italian, and her M.S. from UCSC’s Coastal Science and Policy Program. Sarah currently lives in Santa Cruz, California.

Nikhil Neelakantan

Nikhil Neelakantan is the Senior Program Officer for the Ocean Visions Launchpad program, where he works with startups working on ocean-based carbon dioxide removal. He comes to Ocean Visions after founding a startup in India that provided small and medium sized businesses with access to formal sources of credit. Prior to that he worked as a business manager at Capital One working in Commercial Banking as well as in the Credit card lines of business. Nikhil started his career working as a process engineer in the semiconductor industry and also worked at a nanotechnology company looking to commercialize a new material called Ultrananocrystalline diamond.

Nikhil has a MBA from the University of Oxford, a MS in Materials Science and Engineering from Purdue University and a B.Tech from Indian Institute of Technology-Madras. Outside of work, Nikhil volunteers with non-profits addressing climate change such as The Open Air Collective and with the city of Richmond, where he volunteers to develop and implement their climate action plan.

Jennifer Ruvolo

Jennifer Ruvolo is an operations leader with extensive experience supporting high-growth, mission-based startup organizations.

As Operations Manager at Ocean Visions, she oversees finance, HR, and administrative functions to ensure efficient workflows that support the organization’s growth and impact.

Prior to Ocean Visions, Jennifer began her career at PwC and has since developed expertise in scaling operations, managing complex finance systems, and streamlining processes for fast-growing startups, nonprofit, and climate-focused organizations.

Her areas of expertise include operational management, financial oversight, process improvement, and cross-functional team coordination.

Jennifer holds a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from Providence College. She is passionate about the conservation of our planet’s natural resources and believes in the power of collective action to build a more sustainable future.

Ginny Selz, Ph.D.

Ginny (Virginia) Selz is the Senior Program Director for the Repair Program, leading Ocean Visions’ effort to systematically identify and assess a full range of potential ideas to prolong and reinforce the function of critical components of the ocean–climate system. She is an accomplished Earth system scientist and program strategist, recognized for her research on how polar marine ecosystems respond to climate change. She brings extensive experience driving ocean and climate research toward actionable outcomes—enhancing operations and societal decision-making through strategic program design, cross-sector partnerships, and coalition building. 

Prior to joining Ocean Visions, Ginny advanced major climate and ocean initiatives at the NOAA Climate Program Office, where she strengthened cross-agency collaboration, expanded investments in interdisciplinary research, and delivered scientific insights to decision-makers and communities. Her leadership was recognized with a NOAA award for collaborative, cross-organizational program development. Her experience also includes leading efforts at the American Association for the Advancement of Science to strengthen global scientific capacity, shaping national investments in ocean research at the National Science Foundation, and supporting climate-science engagement with policymakers at Oceana. 

She holds a Ph.D. in Earth System Science from Stanford University, where her work combined satellite remote sensing, ecosystem modeling, and field-based observations to better understand the future of food availability in polar oceans. Ginny brings a dual background in Earth and Ocean Sciences (B.S.) and Biology (B.S., M.S.) and has contributed to both Arctic and Antarctic research, recognized with the Arctic Service Medal from the United States Coast Guard and the Antarctic Service Medal from the National Science Foundation. 

Bridget Shayka, Ph.D.

Bridget Shayka, Ph.D. is a Program Officer at Ocean Visions supporting the Marine Ecosystem Repair Program. Bridget’s previous work as a marine ecologist focused on the impacts of anthropogenic stressors on coastal ecosystems, such as seagrass and coral reefs. Her research also addressed the role of seagrass ecosystems in mitigating the effects of climate change. Bridget holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Michigan, an M.S. in Biology from California State University Northridge, and a B.S. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia.

Shannon Sutherland

Shannon Sutherland is a writer, storyteller, and strategist with over a decade of experience in crafting communications for environmental impact.

As Ocean Visions’ Communication Officer, Shannon supports the development and execution of the organization’s communications strategy, creating and managing content across platforms. She works closely with the Senior Communications Director to ensure consistent, compelling messaging that advances the organization’s mission and impact.

Prior to joining Ocean Visions, Shannon worked across the conservation, climate, and sustainable development sectors, helping organizations like Rare and Project Biodiversity elevate local voices, clarify complex ideas, and connect with diverse audiences.

Shannon holds a master’s degree in Conservation Leadership from the University of Guelph and a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Mount Holyoke College.

Leonardo Valenzuela Pérez, Ph.D.

Leonardo Valenzuela Pérez is the Director of International Partnerships and leads the Global Ecosystem for Ocean Solutions (GEOS) at Ocean Visions. GEOS is a United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development endorsed program that articulates a multi-sectoral global network dedicated to the development and deployment of equitable and scalable ocean-based solutions to address climate change and major Sustainable Development challenges.

Previously, he led international climate justice initiatives in alliance with grassroots organizations in the energy and mining sectors. Leonardo has been working for nearly two decades at the intersection of Indigenous rights, climate activism, and environmental justice research with a global focus.

Leonardo holds a PhD in Human Geography from the University of Sydney, as well as a Master of Human Settlements and the Environment and a Bachelor of Sociology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.