finance and antitrust litigation for several white-glove, corporate law firms, and was most notably a member of the litigation team that successfully sued 24 of the world's largest banks involved in the 2008 U.S. financial crisis.  A graduate of Columbia Law School, Ms. Blanks recently received her LL.M. in Estate Taxation from the University of Miami School of Law.  Over the years, Ms. Blanks has served on the Boards and been a Special Patron of the Young Collectors Council at the Guggenheim Museum, the Apollo Circle at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Contemporary Friends of the Studio Museum of Harlem, and the Young Patrons of Lincoln Center.  She has also been an active member of the New York State Bar Association, the Metropolitan Black Bar Association and has recently been inducted into the membership of the Brooklyn Chapter of The Girl Friends, Inc.  In her spare time Valerie likes to snowboard and cycle, as well as spend time on any beach that will have her.

executive, she has recently founded her own firm, Ashley Bradley Interiors, to focus on creative endeavors, and is currently pursuing a Masters degree in the Graduate School for Planning and the Environment at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Ashley lived in Manhattan for the past 20 years, but since moving to the Brooklyn waterfront with her husband and three children two years ago, has become passionate about the importance of the New York Harbor as a vital resource for the city. Ashley graduated magna cum laude from Denison University with a bachelor’s degree in history and received an MBA from the Leonard Stern School of Business with a concentration in finance.

as head of corporate development and board director at Women's Care. He was als a private equity investor at BC Partners and investment banker at Goldman Sachs. He co-founded and served as CEO of FXG Tackle, a leading importer and retail distributor of saltwater fishing products servicing clients throughout the United States. An avid fisherman and outdoors enthusiast, he serves as a contributing author for Coastal Angler Magazine and is a member of the Florida Coastal Conservation Association. He also authored a paper on environmentally sustainable White Pacific Shrimp farming alternatives that was published in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Journal. He received a Bachelor of Arts (Magna Cum Laude) in Mathematics from Dartmouth College, where he received the Randolph Bucklin Award in Mathematics and William Neukom Award in Computational Science.

Soccer United Marketing and a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors. Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, events, television, and league administration prior to becoming MLS commissioner. Before joining MLS, Garber was with the National Football League for 16 years. Under his leadership, MLS has experienced sustained growth in size and popularity in the United States and Canada. During his tenure, MLS has expanded from 10 to 30 teams and set records for attendance and broadcast revenue. MLS ranks seventh among global soccer leagues in average game attendance. Garber has been selected by SportsBusiness Journal as one of the sports industry's most powerful executives every year since 2005. In 2018, he was 16th on the list. In 2016, SportsBusiness Journal presented MLS with its award for League of the Year. In May 2019, Garber was named the Sports Business Journal Executive of the Year. Garber has received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from both Montclair State University and the State University of New York. He was also inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at his alma mater, SUNY Oneonta. Garber was elected into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2016, but deferred his enshrinement until 2018. Garber grew up in a second generation Jewish family. His mother's parents were socialists from Russia; his father's were Orthodox Jews from Poland. Garber's mother worked as a nursery school teacher and Garber's father as an accountant. He grew up in Queens, New York, during the 1960s and 1970s. In 2007, Garber formed MLS WORKS, the league's community outreach initiative, dedicated to addressing important social issues affecting young people throughout the United States and Canada.

business advisor with over a decade of global law firm and in-house experience. Elliot graduated Cum Laude from Washington University in St. Louis from which he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and received his law degree from Brooklyn Law School where he was a Notes and Comments Editor of the Brooklyn Law Review. Elliot resides in New York City with his wife and their two sons.

AT&T in 1979. Brad spun Echo Logic out of Bell Laboratories in 1989 and joined AT&T Ventures in 1993. Brad co-founded TACODA in 2001 before joining Fred to create Union Square Ventures in 2003. Brad majored in political science at Wesleyan University. He is married with two kids and lives in New York City.

Environmental Education in 1988 and authored Blueprint for a Green School, published by Scholastic in 1995. She is the Founding Chair of the GREEN Community Schools initiative. Jayni was awarded an honorary masters degree in Environmental Studies from Antioch New England Graduate School and has received a number of prestigious awards including: Audubon Women in Conservation Award, Connie Award from the National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Connecticut Environmental Leadership Award.

Murray has spent his entire professional career working to make the waters surrounding New York City cleaner, more abundant, more well-known, more well-loved, and accessible to every young person. This effort started after Vanderbilt University through an AmeriCorps job at Hudson Riverkeeper and continued at Waterkeeper Alliance. But it began in earnest in 2002 when he created the Harbor School. After seven years as the school's Program Director, Murray became the Executive Director of the New York Harbor Foundation where he supported the Harbor School, oversaw two renovations for the school, and created the Billion Oyster Project.

climate change and address issues of environmental and social justice. Kate was the first winner of the MacArthur Genius Award / Fellowship in the field of Landscape Architecture (awarded in 2017). In addition to running SCAPE, Kate is Director of Columbia University GSAPP’s Urban Design Program and an Associate Professor. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political and Social Thought from the University of Virginia and earned a Master in Landscape Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.

Good To Go, helping the European-based company to launch in several major U.S. markets. She currently works from Too Good To Go's New York office, focusing on U.S. strategy and expansion. Previously, she was an impact investment fellow for Kiva in Latin America and she continues to consult for small businesses in Latin America as a Nest Economic Empowerment Network Expert. Gabriela began her career at J.P. Morgan in London and New York, working on sustainable investment portfolios within the Endowments and Foundations Private Banking group. Gabriela attended Boston College majoring in international studies, and is a polyglot native New Yorker. Her interests include circular food systems and regenerative aquaculture.

passionate about conservation, especially when it comes to marine environments. Josh is a lover of all things shark related, and also a massive Knicks fan. He graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering in 2020.

devastation they inflicted on NYC, she was driven to study Sustainable Development at Columbia University. While at Columbia, she further expanded her interest in resilient development and New York City’s food system. It was at Columbia where Olivia heard Billion Oyster Project’s Kate Orff speak about Scape’s “Living Breakwaters” design, sparking Olivia’s interest in oysters and ultimately, Billion Oyster Project. After 3 years living in Los Angeles and London, UK and working in Hospitality Development for Sydell Group and St Giles Hotels, Olivia is thrilled to be returning to NYC to study for her M.S. in Real Estate Development, concentrating in Sustainable Development, at New York University.

investments, as well as advising both public and early-stage companies on governance and compliance matters. Committed to pro bono work, Brianna routinely advises New York and New Jersey based nonprofits, as well as low-income entrepreneurs and founders, on transactional legal matters. She also represents individuals in non-contested guardianship proceedings and actively volunteers with the New York Junior League. Having grown up on Staten Island, Brianna looks forward to working with the Billion Oyster Project on its mission to improve the New York Harbor’s water quality and restore the area’s native marine life. Brianna received her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, where she also completed an externship at Erskine Chambers in London and clerked for a federal judge. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Monmouth University and is an alumna of Notre Dame Academy. In her spare time, Brianna enjoys trying new restaurants, travelling, yoga and scuba diving..

about sustainability and reducing food insecurity within the greater NYC area. In her free time she can be found at a museum, doing hot yoga, and eating oysters.

worked for the strategy consulting firm, Promontory Financial Group, splitting his time between New York and Copenhagen. A resident of both coasts, Graham spent most of his childhood living in Connecticut, taking advantage of his proximity to the Long Island Sound for sailing, swimming and paddle boarding. Graham is a graduate of Washington and Lee University where he studied Accounting and Business.

Since graduating, she has remained in New York City, where she works as an Associate at Insight Partners, focusing on investing in and helping software companies grow. Previously, she was a Business Analyst in the Private Equity practice at McKinsey & Company. She has always been passionate about sustainability and climate change, which has fueled her volunteer efforts in the city and her hometown outside of Chicago. In her free time she enjoys walks or runs along the Hudson or in Central Park, playing piano, and attempting to learn her mother’s authentic Mexican recipes.

where she conducts traditional venture diligence as well as operational and platform support for scaling portfolio companies. Prior to Hangar, she spent time at Tech:NYC, working at the intersection of technology policy and industry, engaging public and private stakeholders, and working to ensure innovation and civic action evolved in tandem. Madi has conducted research for IBM on ethical implications of AI, and has previously worked for the U.S. State Department as a program assistant with the Office of Foreign Missions, and with the diplomatic and consular affairs team of the New York City Mayor's Office for International Affairs at the United Nations. Born and raised in Seattle, you can often find her alongside the waters of either coast: sailing, running, and swimming. A now self-proclaimed New Yorker, she completed a dual B.A. and M.I.A. at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.

Prior to BCP, Charles worked on the M&A and Corporate Strategy team at Neuberger Berman. A native of upstate New York, he graduated from Cornell University in 2019 with a degree in Policy and Economics and spent two years in management consulting before moving to investment management. Charles has always been passionate about sustainability, education, and New York City, and is excited to bring those interests together at the Billion Oyster Project. He also serves on the Young Alumni Council at Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology and as a volunteer career mentor with Streetwise Partners. In his free time, Charles enjoys running and biking throughout NYC, snowboarding, and finding the best food the city has to offer.

Cand skiing in the winter. He is passionate about sustainability and cultivating a healthy environment. He works in structured finance at SVB; Shaun graduated with a Bachelor’s in Economics and Master’s in Finance from The University of Tampa, where he first became involved with oyster reef restoration.

cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Art History from Boston College in 2018. She grew up exploring the Long Island Sound, and when she is not busy with all things art, she can be found out on the water.

on the coral reefs and marine life. She is passionate about creating sustainable built environments. At Deloitte, she works with clients to optimize their global real estate portfolios, reducing their costs and carbon footprints. Previously, she worked in public sector consulting and international trade policy and worked with a real estate developer building walkable cities. Cindy holds an MBA/MA from the Wharton/Lauder program at UPenn, where she majored in Real Estate (MBA) and International Studies in East and Southeast Asia (MA).

restaurants in Nantucket  and New York City, campaigns focused on advancing global health, water conservation, environmental justice and refugee rights. Emily graduated from Brown University with a concentration in Urban Studies.

media. Since graduating in 2021, she has worked at talent agency William Morris Endeavor in their Comedy Touring department, and previously interned with the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Cinematic Music Group, Milk Studios, and others. She has always been passionate about sustainability and education, having previously worked with the Illinois Attorney General's Office and Planned Parenthood to develop educational resources, and also working alongside organizations within her university to implement more environmentally sustainable policies. Ultimately, having always lived close to water, she looks forward to collaborating with the Billion Oyster Project to bring together her passions for community work and the city of New York. In her free time, you can find her studying jazz guitar, playing squash, or making custom playlists.

data analytics, anthropology, and sustainability. Growing up in New Hampshire fostered her love of the outdoors and of skiing, mountain biking, and hiking. Appreciation for the outdoors has shown up in various ways throughout her life, including a high school semester at the Island School, where she studied conservation and sustainability; a gap-year stint in Morocco, where she became a certified surf instructor; a leadership role in the Outdoors Club at SCU, where she guided fellow students on coastal and mountain adventures; and a summer working on an organic farm in Vermont. Ruby is excited to contribute her enthusiasm for the natural world, sustainability, and New York City to the Billion Oyster Project. In her free time, you can find her cooking, training for a half marathon, and enjoying early morning walks through the city..

She is the PR and Events Coordinator at IvyWise, an educational consulting company. Prior to joining IvyWise, Megan held account management positions at consumer lifestyle public relations firms in New York City after graduating from Fordham University with a B.A. in Communications and Media Studies and a concentration in Journalism. Megan has always been passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations as a longtime volunteer with the New York Junior League as well as her alma maters of Fordham and School Year Abroad.