Meet the Speakers
Wallace J Nichols
Dr. Nichols helps people reestablish healthier, more creative and regenerative relationships with themselves, each other and their environment through water, wonder, wellness and wildlife. Dr. Wallace "J" Nichols — called a “Keeper of the Sea" by GQ Magazine, “a visionary" by Outside Magazine, a "water warrior" by AQUATICS International, a "friend of the sea" by Experience Life Magazine, and "the godfather of water" by Irish Life Health and Santa Cruz Waves Magazine — is an innovative, silo-busting, entrepreneurial scientist, movement maker, renowned marine biologist, voracious Earth and idea explorer, wild water advocate, bestselling author, sought after lecturer, and fun-loving Dad. He also likes turtles (a lot). Formerly a Senior Scientist at Ocean Conservancy, Nichols holds a B.A. degree from DePauw University in Biology and Spanish, an M.E.M. degree in Natural Resource Economics and Policy from Duke University, and a Ph.D. degree in Wildlife Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona. He received a Bradley Fellowship to study the impacts of sea level rise at Duke University Marine Lab, a Marshall Fellowship to study conservation while at the University of Arizona, and a Fulbright Fellowship to study at the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico marine station in Mazatlan. He has authored more than 200 scientific papers, technical reports, book chapters, and popular publications; lectured in more than 30 countries and nearly all 50 states; and appeared in hundreds of print, film, radio, and television media outlets including NPR, BBC, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, National Geographic, Animal Planet, Time, Newsweek, GQ, Outside Magazine, USA Today, Elle, Vogue, Fast Company, Surfer Magazine, Scientific American, and New Scientist, among many others.
Dr. Craig Downs
Executive Director, Haereticus Environmental Laboratory
Dr. Craig Downs is Executive Director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, a nonprofit organization that conducts fundamental and applied research, dedicated to understanding and protecting public health and ecological health from pollution threats. He has published studies on the impact of UV filters on animals and plants, with a focus on coral reefs. He has published over 50 scientific papers and a number of book chapters in scientific textbooks, and is Co-Editor of the CRC Press veterinary book, Diseases of Corals. Dr. Downs founded and was Chief Executive of two biotechnology companies, and co-founded two other biotech companies focused on developing various technological platforms for clinical and cellular diagnostics, as well as immuno-therapeutics. Dr. Downs has also founded a number of non-profit organizations whose focus ranges from animal welfare to environmental conservation and exploration. He has held positions as research professor at University of Hawaii’s School of Medicine and Sweet Briar College, and is currently a visiting professor at Sorbonne University in France. Dr. Downs received a B.A. in philosophy and biology from Hiram College, an M.Sc. from Syracuse University in biology, and a Ph.D. from the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii in cell and molecular biology.
James Mitchell
Legislative Director, Don't Cage Our Oceans
James is an environmental attorney and advocate, with over 12 years of experience in working to protect our oceans and all of us who depend on it. He began his work in fisheries at Food & Water Watch, where he advocated in Congress for equitable fisheries and aquaculture for U.S. producers and consumers and promoted responsible alternatives to industrial offshore finfish farming.
Afterwards, he worked for Greenpeace for several years, assessing the performance of U.S. supermarkets, institutional foodservice companies, and Southeast Asia-based tuna companies in their procurement practices, and ecological sustainability/human rights standards. For part of this time he lived in Southeast Asia, where he continued as a consultant and co-founded a microbrewery in the Philippines. James is Chilean-American, so he can converse in either English or Spanish. James received his law degree from American University, Washington College of Law, and his bachelor’s in science from Tufts University. Today, he is based in Arlington, VA, and can be found daydreaming about post-pandemic adventures, spending time with family, and enjoying a great beer.
Hilary Stevens
Coastal Resilience Senior Manager, Restore America's Estuaries
Hilary Stevens is the Coastal Resilience Senior Manager at Restore America's Estuaries. She oversees the Blue Carbon and Living Shorelines programs. She is a geologist and environmental scientist with extensive experience in coastal resource management. Hilary has worked on coastal issues and climate change adaptation around the US and globally, with an emphasis on using best-available science to address community needs and improve resource management. She has a particular affinity for island communities, stemming from her time working in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, and as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines. She holds a master's from Yale University and a B.S. from Wesleyan University.