Join us on Thursday 14 November 2024 for Coast Summit ‘24 presented by A New Earth Project.

This exciting event kicks off the Coast Film and Music Festival in beautiful Laguna Beach, CA. Join us as we celebrate the visionary leaders who are pioneering solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Through panel discussions with active Q&A sessions, premiere film screenings, and a powerful keynote address, get ready to connect with world-class athletes, captivating storytellers, passionate activists, and changemakers who are making a real difference.

This is your chance to dive into groundbreaking ideas, witness eco-friendly innovations—like the use of seaweed to combat plastic pollution—and engage in lively discussions about conservation, innovation and passionate commitment.

And, just like at our unforgettable inaugural Coast Summit in 2023, you’ll enjoy delicious food, stunning scenery, and thought-provoking conversations.

Please save the date and join us for a day that promises to spark new ideas and foster lasting connections!

Tickets are on sale now!

Come curious. Leave inspired.

Join us at Coast Summit, a one-day Sustainability event — part of the Coast Film & Music Festival.

    Community     Passion     Purpose 

Come curious, leave inspired.

Meet the Crew

Adelia Sandoval

  • Adelia Sandoval is a lineal descendant of her Acjachemen Ancestors who were the original inhabitants of Orange County California. Adelia is the Spiritual Overseer (Púul) andCultural Director for the Juaneño Band of MissionIndians/Acjachemen Nation, the indigenous people of Orange County California. She shares her Acjachemen Culture through art, writing, storytelling, and singing. Adelia is a ceremonial leader, song keeper, wisdom holder, tribal teacher, and healer.She is an ordained minister and created a ministry called Song of the Earth, a NativeAmerican healing service held in outdoor sanctuaries. Sandoval served as a trustee on theGlobal Council of the United Religions Initiative, A Global Interfaith organization that“promotes peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings.”Adelia is the Village Elder/Mentor and representative of the Acjachemen People for theEcology Center (a 28-acre regenerative, organic farm) in San Juan Capistrano where she brings traditional knowledge and ancestral blessings.

Anupa Asokan

  • Anupa Asokanis the founder and director of Fish On, which works to protect the ocean so fishing communities have access to a healthy and thriving coast. Anupa is a passionate ocean advocate who has worked at NOAA, led the Ocean Initiative and Government Affairs at XPRIZE Foundation, and supported organizations like NRDC and the World Surf League. Beyond her advocacy, Anupa is an avid waterwoman who regularly spends her free time fishing, surfing, diving and stand-up paddling.With a conservation career inspired by her lifelong love of fishing and fueled by her passion for spending time in the ocean, Anupa consistently saw the needs of recreational and subsistence fishers misrepresented in ocean conservation. Fish On was born to support the needs of conservation-minded anglers and spearfishers and advocate for meaningful, ambitious ocean conservation policy so that everyone may have access to an ocean that is healthy, thriving and full of life.

Bonnie Monteleone

  • Bonnie Monteleone, a dedicated plastic marine debris researcher and the cofounder and executive director of the non-profit, Plastic Ocean Project, Inc. Bonnie has covered 10,000 nautical miles investigating microplastic pollution throughout four of the five global oceanic gyres, produced the international award winning short documentary, 356 and is currently producing the upcoming documentary, If the Ocean Could Talk, A Voice For the North Atlantic. Bonnie is also an adjunct instructor at University of North Carolina, Wilmington teaching plastic marine debris field studies. Her researchhas been featured in peer-reviewed scientific journals, including Science of The TotalEnvironment, Limnology and Oceanography, Environmental Pollution, Royal Society ofChemistry and Technical Report. An accomplished artist, Bonnie turns plastic she collects on her voyages into modern artistic masterpieces.

Bruce Moore

  • Bruce Moore is the current Director of Innovation & Sustainability at FLORENCE, where heleads the development of cutting-edge, environmentally responsible technical outerwear in partnership with 3X World Champion surfer and 2X Olympian, John Florence. With over25 years of experience in product innovation at major brands like Hurley, O’Neill, and Fox Racing, Bruce has played a key role in designing performance gear such as wetsuits, boardshorts, and compression apparel, earning multiple patents for his innovations & contributions. His work emphasizes the integration of sustainable materials and processes, aligning high-performance product development with environmental stewardship. Bruce holds a degree in Industrial Design from the Art Center College of Design and is widely recognized for his leadership in sustainable fashion and technical design, continuously pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the outdoor industry.

Dr. Chad Nelson

  • Dr. Chad Nelsen is the CEO of the Surfrider Foundation, the world’s largest grassroots coastal and ocean conservation organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves and beaches. Chad has over 25 years of experience in ocean and coastal conservation and works at theintersection of advocacy, ocean recreation, and grassroots organizing to confront some of our most pressing challenges including climate change, plastic pollution and poor water quality.With a geology degree from Brown University, a Masters in Coastal Environmental Management fromDuke University, and a Environmental Science and Engineering doctorate from UCLA, Chad has a strong foundation in science, policy and management. Through his research at UCLA Chad became a founder in the field of “surfonomics,” the study of the economic values of surfing and ocean recreation. Chad lives inLaguna Beach and enjoys surfing, hiking, mountain biking, climbing, and snowboarding with his family.

Chase Kahmann

  • Chase Kahmann is the co-founder and leader at ESG Brands, now known as St3ms™, where he and his team transform banana plant waste into high-performance fibers for the consumer goods industry. With a career rooted in performance and sustainability innovation at Columbia Sportswear, Nike, and consulting for several leading brands and OEMs present at the Coast Summit, Chase and his team recognized the potential to industrialize banana fiber to help the textile industry meet its climate goals. ESG Brands draws lessons from the oil and plastics industry—turning waste into valuable resources—but reimagines this for the green economy by utilizing agricultural byproducts to enhance food production, promote sustainable job creation, increase access to clean water, and improve banana farm health. What began with banana fiber has grown into a broader mission to reshape the green economy, setting the stage for anew era of industrial possibilities driven by renewable resources from banana plantations.

Chugey Sepulveda, PhD

  • Chugey Sepulveda,is the director of research and education at the Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research (PIER) in Oceanside, California. PIER is a non-profit research institute dedicated to the advancement of sustainable fisheries management through applied field researchand public education.Sepulveda received his doctoral degree from Scripps Intuition of Oceanography in 2004 and has worked at PIER for over twenty years. He is a California native that has spent all of his adult life working on or near the water. As a fisherman and scientist, Sepulveda is interested in pelagic movement patterns, ecology and sustainable fishery development. Sepulveda has a long history working collaboratively with fishermen, researchers and managers to address resource concerns and by catch issues in current day fisheries. Sepulveda is an advocate of sustainable fishing operations and enjoys the ocean on many levels.

Cody Towsend

Connor Ryan

  • A proud Hunkpapa Lakota and passionate skier, Connor Ryan was born and raised on the Arapaho, Cheyenne and Ute homelands at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. He considers these places among his biggest inspirations and closest relatives. Connor seeks to decolonize, reconnect and learn to better honor all his relations through adventure and activism.Skiing is his dance and prayer, a ceremony of its own. Lakota traditional ecological knowledge helps Connor understand the true value of the sacred land and water we ski on in deeper and more tangible ways.He has devoted his life and platform to rediscovering how traditionalIndigenous culture and ecological knowledge can shape our relationship to the lands we relate to through skiing, life, and adventure.Connor has shared his stories and experiences in person and through media (films, words and photos) with universities and businesses in order to seek collective paths to a better future for all our relations.

David Stover

  • David Stover is the co-founder and CEO of Bureo Inc, an emerging Certified B Corporation focused on developing innovative solutions for discarded fishing nets and creating positive impacts for coastal communities. David has been working with a diverse team focused on the collection and recycling of nets into Bureo’s Net Plus material, a 100% traceable post-consumer recycled material used in a range of products from performance fabrics to surf fins. An avid surfer and environmental enthusiast, he supports the movement towards circular business models and responsible product design. Receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University, David worked professionally incorporate finance prior to the founding of Bureo in 2013. David currently resides in Ventura, California and is actively involved in the movement to reduce plastic pollution in our ocean.

Derek Sabori

  • Derek i a Sr. Director, host of the Inspiring Perspectives podcast, and Client Relationship Lead at the creative sustainability strategy and communications agency think PARALLAX. The former VP of Global Sustainability at the brand Volcom, he excels at engaging with diverse clients on various sustainability topics, finding the common thread, and asking the right questions to understand their needs and the problems that can be solved. Derek’s superpower is helping teams grasp the complexities of sustainability while motivating them to accelerate their work. A proud Anteater, Derek earned a Studio Arts degree and an MBA from the University of California, Irvine. In his spare time, he serves as President of the UC Irvine Alumni Association and aims to surf one of his favorite local beach spots at least once a week

Ellen Bradley

  • Ellen Bradley (she/her) is a Lingít skier and scientist born and raised in the Salish Sea (Puget Sound). A child of the People of the Tides, Ellen's ancestors come from a place where the Tongass rainforest-painted mountains meet the ocean, Lingít Aaní (Southeast Alaska). Ellen grew up skiing at Stevens Pass from the age of 4 and has fallen harder in love with skiing each season since. Skiing has always been the way Ellen has felt most connected to the land and her relatives especially as she grew up away from her traditional homelands. As a scientist, Ellen has worked on projects ranging from epiphyte growth on Big Leaf Maples in the Hoh Rainforest to the impact of wildfires on phytoplankton in tundra lakes of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. In the many hats Ellen wears, she roots all of her work in Traditional Ecological Knowledge, fighting for #LandBack and tribal sovereignty.

Emy Kane

  • Emy Kane is the Executive Director and founding team member of Lonely Whale, an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to preventing ocean plastic waste. Informed by nearly a decade of experience in communications and impact strategy, Emy’s work is inspired by her belief that we all have a role to play in solving our greatest social and environmental challenges and that storytelling is a powerful tool to advance impact and empathy.

James Merrill

  • James Merrill, the founder of StokedPlastics and the inventor of the groundbreaking StokedPlastic® blend, has a decade of experience as a US Government contractor, which inspired him to develop StokedPlastics and his proof of concept company, Opolis– a truly sustainable line of eyewear. During his time as a contractor, James witnessed the degradation of natural resources caused by single-use plastic and its impact on low-income communities. This compelled him to innovate StokedPlastic technology, which uses the highest amount of rPET plastic (water bottles) that would otherwise end up in the ocean, transforming it into upcycled material for performance based, durable goods. His commitment to sustainability and innovation has led to the development of recognized products like the StokedPlastic Sunglasses and StokedSnow Goggle Collections, both of which have won innovation awards. James' vision of a circular plastic economy has been a cornerstone of the company's success, leading to the removal of over 350,000 water bottles from oceans and landfills thus far.

Jose Gonzalez

  • José G. González is a pioneering environmental educator and equity advocate who currently serves as the inaugural Equity Officer at the East Bay Regional Park District, a position he has held since December 2023. As the founder of Latino Outdoors, he has been instrumental in creating pathways for diverse communities to connect with and champion environmental causes.With over 15 years of experience in education, González has taught across the academic spectrum—from K-12 classrooms to graduate-level courses—spanning both social and natural sciences. His consulting work, through partnerships with the Avarna Group and independent ventures, focuses on implementing equity and inclusion frameworks within environmental, outdoor, and conservation organizations.González holds a B.A. from the University of California, Davis, complemented by specialized teaching coursework from the Bilingual, Multicultural Education Department at Sacramento State. He earned his M.S. from the University of Michigan School of NaturalResources & Environment.Currently, he serves on the board of Parks CA and as a Commissioner for the CaliforniaBoating & Waterways Commission, where he continues to advocate for inclusive access tonatural spaces and environmentalresources.

Julia Marsh

  • Julia Marsh is the CEO and co-founder of Sway, a material innovation startup scaling seaweed-based, home-compostable packaging. Julia spent over a decade designing brand and packaging systems for consumer goods companies, technology startups, and design studios around the world. Her work is driven by a deep passion for regenerative design and biological circularity. Sway's patented products match the vital performance attributes of conventional plastics and are designed to plug into existing infrastructure, enabling scale and massive impact. Unlike plastic, however, their materials are made from an abundant, regenerative resource and decompose into healthy soil after use.

In 2024, Sway was named a Fast Company World Changing Idea. 2023, Sway won first place in the TOM FORD Plastic Innovation Prize powered by Lonely Whale. In 2021, Sway also won the Beyond the Bag Challenge sponsored by Closed Loop Partners and a consortium of major retailers. Sway’s solutions have garnered recognition from Vogue, Forbes, Business Insider, and Fast Company. Sway is headquartered in the California Bay Area.

Keith Malloy

  • Keith Malloy grew up surfing with his brother Chris and Dan. He moved to Hawaii and qualified for the WSL. He went on to have a successful professional surfing career for over two decades. Keith and his brothers went on to develop the surf side of Patagonia helping with surf board and clothing design, wetsuit and marketing. He continued to be an ambassador traveling the globe in search of undiscovered surf. He began his own film career as a director. Directing movies such as Coen, Hell to High Water, Fish people and an array of documentaries for brands like Yeti, Red Bull and Sitka. He started his own production company called Bimarian Films. Keith resides in central California with his wife and three kids

Pat Parnell

  • Pat Parnell has been immersed in the sport, travel, adventure, entertainment & storytelling space for over 3 decades. His 11 plus years of experience at NBC included multiple Winter &Summer Olympics, as well as working on the Emmy nominated series World of Adventure Sports. Parnell seamlessly transitioned to producing & hosting the flagship program for FUEL TV, The Daily Habit for 8 seasons. It is here where his collaborating, writing and communication skills flourished. Pat then went on to produce & host Outlook &Expedition Series for Outside Television where he initially joined creative forces with NEU Productions and currently continues. He has a proven track record for bringing concepts to completion as well as having a deep understanding of managing brand, agency & client relationships. Lastly PatParnell has worked on a variety of campaigns & branded content including Ford, AAA, Warner Bros, Land Rover, Afflac, Etihad Airways, Gatorade and others.

Ramon Navarro

  • Ramón Navarro is a renowned Chilean big wave surfer and ocean activist. Raised in a smallf ishing village of Pichilemu, Ramón grew up immersed in the sea, learning to fish and dive alongside his father. He quickly made a name for himself in the surfing world with fearless performances in massive waves, earning accolades in prestigious competitions like the Eddie Aikau in Hawaii and the Ceremonial at Punta de Lobos. Beyond his success in the water, Ramón is equally celebrated for his dedication to environmental conservation. As a Patagonia and Parley for the Oceans ambassador, he has led efforts to protect Chile's coastline, including the iconic Punta de Lobos, and has fought against destructive industries like salmon farming. Through initiatives like Parley AIR, Ramón continues to inspire action for the preservation of marine ecosystems. His life’s work bridges his passion for surfing and his mission to protect the ocean for future generations.

RJ Scaringe

  • RJ Scaringe founded Rivian in 2009 to help accelerate the world’s shift toward carbon neutral energy and transportation. Since starting Rivian from a clean sheet, he’s led the company to establish its vertically integrated technology platforms, build multi-program manufacturing capabilities, develop meaningful partnerships and set forth a strategic vision that transcends the profound change we’ll see within the transportation industry over the next few decades. An engineer at heart, RJ has meticulously built a diverse team obsessed with tackling hard problems while fostering an environment that rewards courage, creativity and teamwork. He operates from the belief that the only way to build the kind of world our kids’ kids deserve is through collaboration, not only within organizations, but also across industries and society. Today, Rivian develops and manufactures electric vehicles and charging infrastructure for the consumerand commercial markets. Rivian’s nearly $14 billion IPO in 2021 was the largest worldwide since 2014. Rivian’s first consumer products, the R1T and R1S, have received critical acclaim, including the R1T named MotorTrend’s Truck of the Year for 2022; and both the R1T and R1S earning the highest safety rating of Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for 2023and 2024. Most recently, Rivian was named the Best Luxury Brand of 2024 by US News and World Report. Rivian is also currently fulfilling Amazon's order for 100,000 electric delivery vans—the largest single order for commercial EVs ever placed. To extend Rivian’s impact,RJ also led the establishment of Forever by contributing 1% of Rivian's pre-IPO equity into a foundation. Forever’s philanthropic mission is dedicated to addressing our climate crisis and preserving the critical biodiversity needed for our planet’s long-term survival.

Wes Carter

  • Wes Carter is the third-generation leader of Atlantic Packaging, the largest privately owned industrial packaging company in North America. Atlantic supports major consumer products packaging needs across virtually every manufacturing vertical, specializing in packaging optimization through technology and comprehensive programs to drive sustainable value. Today, as the president of Atlantic Packaging, Wes is the driving force behind A New Earth Project, the company's sustainability initiative, and its commitment to working with brands of all sizes to transition away from problematic plastic packaging and help rid the world’s oceans, lakes, and rivers of plastic pollution.

    Wes is an avid outdoorsman, lifelong surfer, and traveler who resides in Charleston, South Carolina. He serves on the Board of Directors for The Conservation Alliance, the California SB-54 Packaging Producer Responsibility Advisory Board, the Lowcountry Land Trust Board, and the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Visitors in addition to other local and regional organizations fighting the waste crisis.

Coast Summit ‘24

presented by

A NEW EARTH PROJECT

COAST SUMMIT NGOs