Laura F. Rodriguez

Board Member

Laura is eternally thankful to her family who took her to the Pacific Ocean since she was a child, where she discovered her happy place dipping her head under a crashing wave and then found her calling by peering into the deep blue through a snorkeling mask. Currently she is Senior Program Officer of the Oceans Program at Builders Initiative, and previous experience includes working to catalyze sustainable fisheries management in Latin America and researching marine invasive species. Laura is passionate about building scalable and inclusive solutions to secure thriving communities and a healthy natural environment. She has been learning to surf for the past 20 years. 

Hugo Tagholm

Board Member

Hugo is a surfer, campaigner, and environmentalist.
He currently heads up the global marine conservation NGO Oceana in the UK.
He previously led the NGO Surfers Against Sewage, campaigning from the beach front to the front benches of Parliament. Hugo founded the Plastic Free Communities movement, the Million Mile Beach Clean & Safer Seas Service and has been instrumental in exposing water company sewage pollution.
Hugo was awarded a Doctorate of Science by Exeter University for his services to the marine environment; Environmentalist of the Year 2021 by Save the Waves; featured in the ENDS Report 2022 Campaigning Power List, and has been shortlisted as Leader of the Year in the 2023 Purpose Awards.
You can follow Hugo on Twitter at @hugoSAS