Ideas for Sea Change: Empowering Coastal Communities

From Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to the United States, coastal communities face similar challenges across the world in understanding nearby waters and engaging the public in ocean science. Citizen science and empowerment can take many different forms - from Fish N' Fins'  social impact programs for teaching youth swimming and marine science, to Smartfin's integration of technology into surfing. The democratization of ocean innovation is key to the future for our ocean, and both of these women leaders are driving this movement forward. Seaworthy Collective is thrilled to bring together this panel of experts creating tangible impact that help inspire the next generation of Sea Change Makers.

About Our Panel:

Veta Wade

Founder - Fish'N Fins Inc.

Blue Economy Consultant - Diversity & Impact

Veta is a passionate ocean advocate and outreach specialist, experienced in educating youth via empowerment, and adventure. Through her outreach work Veta has been able to engage the community and volunteers of all ages and abilities in embracing marine conservation and ocean confidence. To date she has engaged over 1,000 children via Fish 'N Fins' programs.  ''As a SIDS (Small Island Developing State) national, I live at the front line of climate change, and I can clearly see that a key part of building our resilience rests on educating our youth. We’ve got work to do, and I look forward to the adventure of doing it together.''

Danica Reinicke

Head of Distribution and Partnerships, Smartfin

Danica Reinicke is the Head of Distribution and Partnerships for Smartfin, a nonprofit citizen science project working to fill a gap in crucial oceanographic data through an innovative data-gathering tool- a surfboard fin with embedded research-grade sensors. While new to the ocean tech space, she is interested in developing and executing business models to support green technology that are truly sustainable, equitable, and regenerative.  She is especially passionate about the potential of the Smartfin project to engage and educate the public about the crisis of ocean health, while providing a meaningful way for communities to get involved in a solution.  Previous to joining Smartfin, Danica worked in engineering and product management roles in medical, environmental, and safety industries. She has a BSE in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

Daniel Kleinman

Founder & CEO, Seaworthy Collective

Growing up in South Florida, Daniel was surrounded by & captivated by the Atlantic Ocean. Daniel received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida, focusing on ocean technology. During his time as an undergraduate, Daniel interned with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution as an Engineering Assistant and became a University Innovation Fellow. After graduating in 2015, Daniel spent two years as a Pilot & Test Engineer for Bluefin Robotics' Bluefin-21 unmanned underwater vehicles in Boston. Daniel spent the following three years in San Diego as a Contractor for the Navy contributing to mechanical engineering research & development for maritime systems.

After five years in the ocean technology industry, Daniel saw a missed opportunity in the lack of infrastructure to support the development of solutions to positively impact the ocean. Combining his passions for ocean science & exploration, innovation & entrepreneurship, & mentorship, Daniel founded Seaworthy Collective in 2020 to empower current & aspiring oceanographic changemakers. Daniel is thrilled to foster a community facilitating the growth of startups in the ocean science & exploration field. Daniel is also pursuing his Master's degree in Exploration Science at The University of Miami's Rosenstiel School for Marine & Atmospheric Science, & was recently recognized as a Miami Global Shaper.