Jack in Jersey (and Maine)
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After 14 years with IBM, three startups since (and work as a journalist and communications professional before that) I was drawn to GreenWave and the intro course for several reasons.
First, I'm interest in finding the next adventure that would also do something good (and useful) in the world to address the climate emergency and the need for a more sustainable food ecosystem.
I'm also experienced in developing and nurturing communities of interest, so naturally drawn to GreenWave's mission to grow an army of ocean farmers. What really struck me about this first session is how much opportunity may be opening up around the supply chain -- hatcheries, processing, sales & distribution -- and how much work remains to advance the GreenWave story and the nascent industry it aims to catalyze.
I'm particularly interested in the kind of ingenuity and innovation -- in technology, business models and entrepreneurship -- that will be required to make ocean farming a viable living for tens of thousands, maybe millions, of people around the world. For example, in our Q&A sessions I heard insightful ideas around using satellite technology to identify locations where kelp farming may best enhance water quality and deliver other benefits.
As a veteran writer, producer and storyteller, I hope to bring some of all that to this inaugural class. I'm currently near the end of a book project -- about restoring a 1971 BMW 2002 during the pandemic that was in storage for 18 years -- and am contemplating whether the kelp community might be might next project focus.
I grew up on the water, first on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota and then on the New Jersey Shore (between the ocean and the Shrewsbury River in Monmouth Beach) and have spent more than 20 summers in Maine on a lake and near the ocean, so I'm comfortable with boats and respectful of the sea.
Very grateful to everyone who made this first session possible. For me, the most inspiring piece of content in the intro to the course was the World Economic Forum video. I look forward to helping this remarkable effort set sail.
@jack_mason
Thanks for sharing this Jack , very informative and motivating.