Funding the Ocean: Exploring Careers in Environmental Philanthropy, Ms. Mariko Powers
–
Online
Free
Open to the Public

How do donors (ranging from traditional foundations to impact investors) craft strategies to maximize positive marine outcomes? Mariko Powers, Program Officer at Oceankind, will highlight case studies that show how investment in cell-based seafood, marine protected areas, and blue carbon catalyze solutions for ocean health.
Funding the Ocean: Exploring Careers in Environmental Philanthropy
Lecture and Discussion
Speaker: Ms. Mariko Powers, Program Officer, Oceankind
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
6:00pm to 7:00pm PST
Online via Zoom
Please note: We will not be recording this lecture.
About the Topic
Our era of unprecedented wealth has been accompanied by unprecedented levels of philanthropy, with nearly $400 million in marine and ocean related grants issued from U.S. foundations and corporate giving programs in 2018 alone. In this presentation, MIIS alum Mariko Powers will share key lessons from her experience at a new philanthropic organization that catalyzes solutions for ocean health. She will discuss how donors ranging from traditional foundations to the emerging community of ocean impact investors craft strategies to maximize positive marine outcomes. Mariko will highlight case studies from her portfolio of grants to date, including projects that advance cell-based seafood, marine protected areas, and blue carbon. She’ll also discuss her career journey and the skills needed to become a program officer a grant-making organization.
About the Speaker
Mariko Powers is a Program Officer at Oceankind, a new philanthropic organization that seeks to address the growing threats facing our oceans. Mariko oversees grant-making related to marine and coastal habitat conservation. She obtained her MA in International Environmental Policy with a focus in Business and Sustainable Development from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) in 2018. As part of her MIIS education, she studied development project design in Egypt, spent a summer as a visiting researcher at the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Bangladesh, and served as a Project Management Intern for Conservation International in the Philippines. She graduated from Occidental College in 2013 with a BA in Diplomacy and World Affairs.
Suggested Reading
- “Why I Regret Pushing Strategic Philanthropy” Article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy by Hal Harvey, April 4, 2016
Lecture Location: Online via Zoom
Title: Class #IEPG 8666A: Intl. Marine Policy Speaker Series
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://middlebury.zoom.us/j/95604840118?pwd=TkdXeUJUclhUQzJjZGo5dG8yM09WZz09
Password Required: 9r026v
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +16468769923„95604840118# or +13017158592„95604840118#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 646 876 9923 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799
Meeting ID: 956 0484 0118
Password for Phone only: 326551
International numbers available: https://middlebury.zoom.us/u/alKvKS5G
Please note: We will not be recording this lecture. We reserve the right to exclude disruptive participants.
Questions
The Center for the Blue Economy is a research organization at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Our mission is to promote a sustainable ocean and coastal economy (the “Blue Economy”) through leadership in research, analysis, and education. For questions contact: Rachel C. at cbe@miis.edu or visit centerfortheblueeconomy.org or call 831-647-4183 (must leave message and receive call back).