Stop by The Cove for immersive stories and talks dedicated to the core pillars of Ohana Fest: Oceans, Activism, Environmental Justice, Art, Community and Indigenous Voices.
2026 sPeakers
Adelia Sandoval
Adelia Sandoval is a lineal descendant of her Acjachemen Ancestors, the original inhabitants of Orange County California. Adelia is the Spiritual Overseer (Púul) and Cultural Director for the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians/Acjachemen Nation, the indigenous people of Orange County California. She shares her Acjachemen Culture through art, writing, storytelling, and singing. Adelia is a ceremonial leader, song keeper, wisdom holder, tribal teacher, and healer. She is an ordained minister and created a ministry called Song of the Earth, a Native American healing service held in outdoor sanctuaries. Sandoval served as a trustee on the Global Council of the United Religions Initiative, A Global Interfaith organization that “promotes peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings.” Adelia is the Village Elder/Mentor and representative of the Acjachemen People for the Ecology Center (a 28-acre regenerative, organic farm) in San Juan Capistrano where she brings traditional knowledge and ancestral blessings.
Amber Carter, PhD
Dr. Amber Carter is a marine scientist, storyteller, and award-winning explorer whose work sits at the intersection of marine conservation and human societies. She focuses on small-scale fishing communities, and her research recognizes the deep connection between environmental and social challenges - advocating for solutions that address both. Guided by principles of inclusivity and social justice, Amber is committed to breaking down the traditional barriers in science that limit its relevance and accessibility to the communities most affected. This commitment has led her to integrate storytelling and filmmaking into her research - not just as tools for documentation and advocacy, but as powerful methods for co-creation, trust-building, and amplifying local voices. Amber is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. When she's not working, you'll likely find her running trails, hiking through the jungle, or in, on, or under the ocean.
Barry Ament
Barry Ament is the co-founder of Ames Bros, the Seattle design studio he launched with partner Coby Schultz in 1994. For more than three decades, Ames Bros has produced distinctive work for clients including Pearl Jam, Nike, TOPPS, the Seattle Seahawks, Pagliacci Pizza, and many others. Barry began working as Pearl Jam's in-house designer in the early 1990s, creating everything from album packaging and concert posters to T-shirts and tube socks. Since then, Ames Bros has illustrated more than 500 concert posters for Pearl Jam and other artists. Barry's collaboration with his brother, Jeff, goes back to childhood—drawing together, building skate ramps, and later mailing artwork back and forth after Jeff split for Seattle. Those early exchanges grew into decades of collaboration, and they're still finding new reasons to make stuff together.
Captain Paul Watson
Captain Paul Watson is a marine wildlife conservationist, environmental activist, master mariner, acclaimed author, and renowned public speaker whose life has been dedicated to defending the world’s oceans. He was one of the founding members and directors of Greenpeace before leaving the organization in 1977 to establish the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an organization he led for decades before resigning in 2022 to co-found the Captain Paul Watson Foundation. Throughout his lifelong commitment to marine conservation, Captain Watson has become one of the most recognized figures in environmental activism, earning numerous international honors and awards. In 1998, he received the Genesis Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2000, Time Magazine named him one of the Top 20 Environmental Heroes of the 20th Century, and in 2002 he was inducted into the U.S. Animal Rights Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C. In 2007, he was awarded the Amazon Peace Prize by the President of Ecuador. In 2012, Captain Watson became only the second person, after Captain Jacques Cousteau, to receive the prestigious Jules Verne Award, honoring environmentalists and adventurers. Today, through the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, Captain Watson continues his unwavering fight to protect marine wildlife and defend the oceans for future generations.
Chris Benchetler
Chris Benchetler is one of those humans who is hard to define succinctly. Exceptionally talented in so many facets, his multi-dimensional life spans industries, genres, cultures, and generations. Originally recognized as an icon in the winter sports world, Chris' true passion is around creativity, and the process that surrounds it. He is driven unlike anyone else you have met, and this insatiable appetite has led to significant contributions in a multitude of areas - inspiring many and cultivating growth along the way. Chris' art is an act of transmission - an attempt to express what cannot be said but only felt. He works at the edge of language, weaving a complex fabric fueled by experience, instinct, and intuition. With a continuous nod to the natural world, Chris draws on a persistent fascination with the intangible - those elements that lie beyond the obvious surface. Integrating light, color, motion, and symbology, his creative vision spans and blends mediums: paint, ink, canvas, paper, digital, film, music, snow, earth. Until you have seen the expansiveness and variety of his work, none of it makes sense. Even then, most will only possess a glimpse of the complex and integrated web which connects it all. Though often seeming to drift in the ethereal, Chris is also grounded. Recognizing the power of connection, he is passionately committed to family and community. The Eastern Sierra serves as the foundation for his life, with the incredible landscape and collection of people shaping and supporting him through the years. You can get a more complete picture of it all by visiting Mammoth Lakes and stepping foot into Wind Drift Studios, a physical space which integrates the many threads connecting these seemingly disparate pieces.
Chris Burkard
Chris Burkard is an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker, and author. Traveling throughout the year to pursue the farthest expanses of Earth, Burkard works to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature, while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere. Layered by outdoor, travel, adventure, surf, and lifestyle subjects, Burkard is known for images that are punctuated by untamed, energized landscapes and peak moments of adventure. He has accumulated an audience of over 5 million followers to become a globally recognized social influencer. Burkard is often central in synthesizing the creative projects he is involved in, across stakeholders. His holistic and visionary perspective has earned him opportunities to work on global, prominent campaigns with Fortune 500 clients, appear as a TED speaker, develop specialty product lines, teach national and international photography workshops and publish a collection of books, including a children’s book. Along with his team, Burkard is based out of his full-scale production studio and art gallery near his hometown in Central Coast California. At the age of 40, Burkard has established himself as a global presence and influencer, accomplishing a prolific portfolio, connecting people from around the world and producing some of the most recognized creative work of our time.
Cliff Kapono, PhD
Dr. Cliff Kapono is a professional surfer, ASU professor and storyteller. Born on the eastern shores of Hawai‘i, his life involves equal parts science as it does surf. While contributing several peer-reviewed publications to the fields of molecular bioscience, he has also produced a handful of award-winning films that discuss indigenous activism, ocean conservation, global food security and augmented reality. He has been profiled in publications such as The New York Times, NBC, CBS, The Surfers Journal, and more. Cliff is currently based in Hilo, Hawai‘i and can be found tinkering in the lab when not chasing the best waves on the planet.
Darren Croft, PhD
Growing up on the rugged coast of North East England, where much of his time was spent surfing in the North Sea, Darren developed a lifelong connection to the ocean. That early passion for the marine environment has shaped a career dedicated to understanding and protecting some of the world's most remarkable wildlife. Today, Darren is Executive Director of the Center for Whale Research, the organisation that has led the world's longest continuous study of the endangered southern resident killer whales of the North East Pacific Ocean. As the Center celebrates its 50th anniversary and 50 years of continuous data collection, he is leading the next chapter of its mission to advance science, inspire public engagement and help secure a future for this iconic and critically endangered population. Darren splits his time between the USA and the UK, where he is Professor of Animal Behavior at the University of Exeter. His research explores the complex social lives of killer whales and other social animals, and how their behavior shapes survival, health and resilience in a changing world. He has published more than 150 scientific papers, many of which have helped transform our understanding of the social lives of killer whales. Through science and storytelling, Darren is passionate about helping people connect with the southern residents and inspiring action to protect them and the habitat they depend on.
Evan Marks
From studying Agroecology to working in Indigenous and traditional agricultural systems around the world to founding The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano in 2008, Evan has dedicated his life to finding creative solutions for the most urgent problems facing our food system.
Forrest Shearer
Forrest Shearer is a professional snowboarder, filmmaker, and environmental advocate, and a Southern California native who grew up surfing and skateboarding before building a career as one of big mountain snowboarding’s most respected riders. From first descents in Chile to summiting Denali, his career has taken him around the world — but his purpose has stayed close to home: using storytelling and sport to protect the wild places he loves. He now splits his time between Ojai, CA, and California’s Eastern Sierra, and recently launched the podcast On Knowing On Going, while designing products and developing short films and creative projects for sponsors including Jones, Yeti, and Vuarnet.
Greg Long
Greg Long is by any standards one of the sport’s most celebrated big wave surfer. In a career that now spans two decades Long has been awarded virtually every title in the big wave riding arena, including multiple XXL Global Big Wave Awards including Biggest Wave, Ride of the Year and Performer of the Year, as well as two WSL Big Wave World Championship titles in 2012 and 2015. His list of accolades also include the SIMA “Waterman of the Year Award”, a National Geographic “Adventurer of the Year” nomination and has been voted one of Men’s Journal magazine’s “50 Most Adventurous Men”. In 2012 Long was featured in the Fox Pictures Hollywood release “Chasing Mavericks” both performing surf stunts and as a story character. Deeply thoughtful and well informed, he has become one of the sport’s most articulate spokesman, lending his perspective and credibility to a number of ocean-oriented environmental groups, including The Surfrider Foundation, Save The Waves, and Parley for the Oceans. He is also a lead instructor for the Big Wave Risk Assessment Group, traveling to international ocean communities teaching advanced courses in high surf risk management, heavy water rescue, CPR, and basic first responder life support.
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Hugo Tagholm
Hugo is a surfer, campaigner, and environmentalist. He currently heads up the leading marine conservation NGO Oceana, UK. He previously led the NGO Surfers Against Sewage, campaigning from the beach front to the front benches of Parliament. Hugo co-founded the Global Wave Conference, Plastic Free Communities movement, the Million Mile Beach Clean & Safer Seas Service, and has been instrumental in exposing water company sewage pollution and the plastic pollution crisis. Hugo was recently awarded a Doctorate of Science by Exeter University for his services to the marine environment. He was made Environmentalist of the Year 2021 by Save the Waves, featured in the ENDS Report 2023 Campaigning Power List, and was shortlisted as Leader of the Year in the 2023 Purpose Awards. Hugo is a regular commentator and media contributor on ocean and environmental issues and has spoken at events and conferences across the world. Hugo is a fellow of the Edinburgh University Ocean Leaders programme and a columnist for Oceanographic Magazine.
Jeff Ament
Jeff Ament is the bass guitarist and a founding member of Pearl Jam. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 2017, Ament helped shape Seattle's influential music scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s, contributing to a generation of artists whose socially conscious songwriting transformed popular culture. Beyond Pearl Jam, Ament has performed with Green River, Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog, Three Fish, RNDM, Tres Mts., and several other projects. He is also the founding member and bassist of the band P.E.S.T. which is playing Ohana this year. His solo releases include Tone (2008), While My Heart Beats (2012), Heaven/Hell (2018), American Death Squad (2020), and I Should Be Outside (2021). In 2022, he composed the score for FX's Under the Banner of Heaven. Ament has also earned two GRAMMY Awards for Best Recording Package, recognizing his work as a visual artist and designer. Born in Havre, Montana, in 1963 and raised in nearby Big Sandy, Ament attended the University of Montana before settling in Seattle. A lifelong skateboarder, he founded Montana Pool Service in 1992, initially helping restore skateparks in Seattle before turning his focus to his home state. Since then, Ament has helped fund and build more than forty skateparks across Montana and the American West, many on Native American reservations. His nonprofit works to create safe, welcoming spaces where young people can skate, build community, express themselves, and develop confidence through outdoor recreation. For Ament, the mission is deeply personal. Growing up in a small town, he found identity and belonging through music and skateboarding. Today, he continues to invest in the next generation by creating places where young people can gather, ride, and discover the same sense of purpose and connection that shaped his own life.
Kahi Pacarro
Business-savvy environmental activist who cut his teeth in the fast-paced world of Real Estate Development, Kahi Pacarro took a career 180 at 30 to co-found the grassroots nonprofit Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, which has since gained global recognition in the fight against plastic pollution. From there, he joined the team at Parley for the Oceans as CEO of Parley Hawaii, supporting their mission of reframing plastic pollution as a design failure and focusing on proactive solutions. Through his work alongside the UN and international governments in the Maldives, Brazil, and Argentina, Kahi has gained a global perspective that helps guide his diverse approach to tackling environmental and social issues. Kahi is now taking his successes in both the private and public sector to the government as a candidate for the House of Representatives for Hawai’i District 19.
Katie McConnell
Katie McConnell is a champion waterwoman, marine biologist, and activist. A standout in big-wave lineups from Jaws to Nazaré, Katie won Biggest Paddle at the 2024 global Big Wave Challenge awards, was a finalist for Surfer of the Year, and is again a finalist for biggest paddle this year. Since beginning to surf big waves, she has either won or placed on the podium at every event she has entered. Bridging surf and science, Katie holds an MS in Microbiology (with a minor in Risk & Uncertainty Quantification in Marine Systems) from Oregon State University and a BS in Marine Biology from UC Santa Cruz. A National Geographic Explorer, she was recognized for her short documentary about shifting ecological baselines with climate change in Chilean Patagonia. An AAUS Scientific Diver, research expeditions have taken her from coral reefs, to kelp forests, the depths of Alaskan and Patagonian fjords, and under Antarctic ice. Katie promotes surf ecosystem conservation as an Ambassador for Save the Waves, advances Marine Protected Area expansion with YachtAid Global, and is an Ambassador for Finisterre (a certified B Corp). She recently joined the board of the Earth Society Foundation to carry on the over 50 year-old tradition of ringing the Peace Bell at the United Nations to inspire global unity on our one home planet, and Peace, Justice, and Care of the Earth.
Keith Malloy
Keith Malloy is a California-based filmmaker and master of all forms of wave riding — whether it’s a gun, a thruster, or a pair of swim fins, his approach to the ocean demonstrates a lifelong commitment to the sea. Growing up in Ojai, California in a hardworking family with traditional values and a shared passion for the ocean, Keith and his brothers would go on to make names for themselves in the competitive world of professional surfing before charting their own course entirely. After years in front of the camera gaining global notoriety as a professional surfer, Keith stepped behind the lens and never looked back. In 2011 he directed the award-winning bodysurf film Come Hell or High Water, a love letter to the raw, fin-free art of moving through the ocean. His follow-up, Fishpeople, told the stories of a remarkable cast of characters who have dedicated their lives to the sea, screened at Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, and was featured on Netflix in 2017 — the same year he co-founded Bimarian Films. Since then he has gone on to direct Mind Surfing (2022) for 805 Beer, co-direct Beyond Sunset alongside Jeff Johnson, produce the Red Bull Life of Kai series, and most recently direct First In, Last Out, which screened at Mountainfilm 2025. From big-wave riding to bodysurfing to filmmaking, Keith is at home in the ocean in almost any discipline, in any corner of the globe. His films capture a deep reverence, curiosity, and excitement for the world around us. He looks for projects that stoke and inspire the soul — stories with a full arc that capture people’s imagination and pull at their heartstrings. That instinct, honed over decades in and out of the water, is what makes his work feel so unmistakably human. He doesn’t manufacture emotion. He finds it where it already lives — in the people, the animals, the land, and the sea.
Kimi Werner
The ocean has long been a source of sustenance, inspiration, and adventure for Kimi Werner. As a young child growing up off the grid in an isolated part of coastal Maui, she floated behind her father as he freedove for her family's primary food source. Only later, as an adult on Oahu, did she understand the central role the ocean was to play in her life when she discovered her own passion for freediving. Kimi has gone on to become the United States National Spearfishing Champion, ocean conservationist, cookbook author, and sought-after speaker. Her daily life is a pure fusion of her talents, rooted in sustainability and geared toward a healthy future for our global community.
Kimmy Fasani
Kimmy Fasani is a professional snowboarder, entrepreneur, and advocate whose career has been defined by progression, resilience, and a commitment to expanding opportunities for women in sport. Featured on the cover of Outside magazine in 2024, her documentary Butterfly in the Blizzard (2025) earned Sports Emmy nominations for Outstanding Long Form Documentary and Outstanding Editing. Raised in Truckee, California, Fasani discovered snowboarding at an early age and was competing nationally by 15. After moving to Mammoth Lakes, she balanced earning a marketing degree with building a professional career. In 2011, she made history as the first woman to land a double backflip in a terrain park, cementing her place as one of the sport's most influential riders. Beyond competition, Fasani has championed equality in snowboarding, founding the Amusement Park and Amusement Mountain events to create more opportunities for women. She also became a leading voice for mothers in action sports, successfully advocating for maternity protections in athlete contracts after welcoming her first son, Koa, with her husband, professional skier Chris Benchetler. Their second son, Zeppelin, was born in 2020. Soon after, Fasani was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. Following chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and radiation, she emerged cancer-free and, alongside Benchetler, co-founded the Benchetler Fasani Foundation, helping people reconnect with nature during life's most difficult moments. Through Butterfly in the Blizzard and her ongoing advocacy with organizations including Boarding for Breast Cancer and For All Mothers, Fasani continues to inspire others through vulnerability, perseverance, and a belief that healing, growth, and transformation are often found in the outdoors.
Maggie Baird
Maggie Baird is an actor, teacher, climate activist, and mother of multiple Grammy and Academy Award-winning artists Billie Eilish and FINNEAS. A lifelong vegetarian turned vegan, she has emerged as a thought leader around the environmental impacts of our global food system, and is a frequent speaker and panelist on food and sustainability within music, catering, and climate spaces. In 2020, Baird founded Support+Feed, a nonprofit focused on increasing access to nourishing plant-based food while driving systemic change toward a more sustainable global food system; since launch, Support+Feed has provided over 2.2M plant-based meals and pantry items and related education. In 2024, Baird was featured in Forbes ’ 50 Over 50 list, and was honored as one of Glamour ’s Women of the Year. In 2025, she received the Superhero for Earth award from the Captain Planet Foundation, and in 2026, she received the inaugural MSA Bobby Weir Sustainability Award for an individual. Baird’s series, Climate Kitchen , is premiering on public media nationwide in 2027.
Mark Cunningham
Born in Massachusetts in 1955 and raised in Hawaii, Mark Cunningham has spent more than six decades immersed in the ocean. After graduating from Punahou School in 1974 and playing water polo at UC Santa Barbara, he began lifeguarding before joining Honolulu Ocean Safety on Oahu's North Shore in 1976. From his tower at Ehukai Beach Park, Mark witnessed the rise of Pipeline, professional surfing, and the modern surf industry from the front row. Throughout his career, Mark helped shape ocean safety in Hawaii. He founded the Independence Day Paddleboard Race from Sunset Beach to Waimea Bay, now approaching its 50th year, and helped establish the North Shore Challenge, the area's first summer rough-water swim. Working alongside fellow lifeguard Terry Ahue and Hawaiian waterman Brian Keaulana, he was among the early pioneers of personal watercraft for surf rescue and later served with the Hawaiian Water Patrol at Pipeline.As a training lieutenant for Honolulu Ocean Safety, Mark recruited and mentored new lifeguards, led annual certifications, and founded Hawaii's first Junior Lifeguard program—one of his proudest accomplishments. Since retiring, Mark and his wife, Katye, have dedicated themselves to protecting Oahu's North Shore through the Defend Oahu Coalition. When the surf settles, Mark explores reefs with mask, fins, and snorkel, collecting objects shaped by time and tide that become sculptural works reflecting the hidden stories of the sea.A lifelong bodysurfer, Mark still enters contests for the love of the experience and has long-standing relationships with OUTERKNOWN and DaFiN. Inducted into the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation Waterman Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame in 2025, Mark continues to share a lifetime of ocean knowledge through his art, stories, and enduring curiosity.
Max Lowe
Max Lowe is a director and photographer known for capturing deeply human stories at the edges of our world. His breakout feature documentary, "Torn", premiered at Telluride Film Festival in 2021 to broad acclaim and is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. He followed this with Camp Courage, acquired by Netflix and shortlisted for the 95th Academy Awards, and "Learning to Fly", which premiered at Telluride in September 2025 and is streaming on Amazon Prime. He is currently completing his third feature documentary "Kind Ones", alongside Academy Award–winning producers Melanie Miller and Diane Beckett.
Mike Levin
Currently serving his fourth term in the House of Representatives, Mike is a member of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations, where he serves on the Subcommittees on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. Throughout his time in Congress, more than thirty-two of his bills have been signed into law by presidents of both parties. Mike was raised in South Orange County and attended local elementary and junior high schools. He spent his high school years at Loyola High in Los Angeles, and went on to study at Stanford University, where he served as the Student Body President. Upon graduation from Stanford, Mike served as a Coro Fellow and then attended Duke University School of Law. Prior to being elected to Congress in 2018, Mike fought for climate action while working as an environmental attorney. He also served on the board of the Center for Sustainable Energy and co-founded Sustain OC, helping accelerate the transition toward more sustainable power generation and transportation alternatives. As a Member of Congress, some of Mike’s top priorities are combating climate change, protecting our natural resources, and capitalizing on the economic benefits of a sustainable energy future. He has led legislation to transition the United States to zero emission vehicles, ban new offshore drilling along the coast of Southern California, responsibly develop renewable energy on public lands, and much more. He is a Vice Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), the leading House caucus focused on issues related to environmental protection, climate change, and clean energy. Throughout his career, Levin has been a passionate leader on environmental protection, clean energy, and combating climate change.
Mónica Franco
Mónica Franco is the Director of WILDCOAST in Mexico. Based in Ensenada, Baja California, she oversees all of our conservation programs and operations from Baja California to Oaxaca. Monica joined the WILDCOAST team in 2013 as the Magdalena Bay Program Coordinator and later led our federal conservation concessions project where she helped to protect tens of thousands of acres of globally important and carbon sequestering coastal and marine ecosystems. In 2017, she was named Mexico Deputy Director and was appointed the WILDCOAST Mexico Director in 2020. Prior to WILDCOAST, Monica worked for Mexico´s Environmental Federal Agency (SEMARNAT) in the Federal Concessions Department. Prior to that she was employed by Pronatura Noroeste as a field assistant and GIS technician. While doing research on marine mammals for her Master´s degree, Monica did field work for two years throughout the Pacific Islands of the Baja California Peninsula. She also studied for a semester at the University of Las Palmas of Gran Canaria on the Canary Islands. She holds a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Coastal Oceanography from the Autonomous University of Baja California in Ensenada.
Mike McCready
Mike McCready is the lead guitarist for and one of the founding members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-inducted Pearl Jam. McCready has also been a member of Temple of the Dog, Mad Season, The Rockfords and Levee Walkers. When not performing live, McCready scores TV and film projects, some of which include Shameless, Fat Kid Rules the World, Hawaii Five-O, We Bought A Zoo, Horrible Bosses and Fringe, as well as the documentaries Elvis Presley: The Searcher, and The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash. In 2013, McCready founded HockeyTalkter Records, a small vinyl record label and media outlet specializing in limited edition 7-inch singles with releases from Brandi Carlile, Thunderpussy, Star Anna, Danny Newcomb, Stereo Embers, and several score related releases. Additionally, McCready supports countless charitable organizations, most notably the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, having lived with Crohn’s disease since the late 1980s. Other spotlight charities include The Washington Innocence Project and Team Gleason.
Nathan Banda
Nathan K. Banda is the Tribal Chairman of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation, and a tenth-generation descendant of the historic Rios family of San Juan Capistrano. His lineage reflects deep ancestral ties to the traditional homelands of the Acjachemen people, whose villages, travel routes, and cultural landscapes span what is now known as Orange County, California. Chairman Banda’s leadership is grounded in a lifelong commitment to cultural preservation, environmental stewardship, and community education—values instilled through his family and community upbringing. He continues the legacy of his late mother, Barbara L. Banda, a respected advocate for Native American early childhood education and the protection of Acjachemen sacred sites. Her dedication remains a guiding influence in his work to safeguard cultural resources and strengthen opportunities for future generations. In addition to his elected leadership, Nathan serves as an Official Bell Ringer for the Historic Mission San Juan Capistrano, a role entrusted to only a few individuals and one he carries with humility and reverence for tradition. He often describes himself as continuing to learn in this responsibility, honoring those who have served before him. Chairman Banda is also engaged in regional partnerships and nonprofit collaborations throughout Southern California that advance cultural awareness, land stewardship, and community connection. He is committed to building respectful relationships that honor Indigenous history while creating pathways for education, preservation, and collaboration across communities.
Serge Dedina, PhD
Serge leads the international team at WILDCOAST, which he co-founded in 2000. A former California State Parks Ocean Lifeguard, Serge grew up surfing in Imperial Beach, California on the U.S.-Mexico border and served as Mayor in his hometown from 2014-2022. His innovative coastal and ocean conservation work in the U.S. and Mexico has been reported on by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, NBC News, Washington Post, BBC, National Public Radio, Wall Street Journal, and 60 Minutes among others. In recognition of his successful conservation endeavors, which include: helping to protect Laguna San Ignacio, a gray whale birthing lagoon; developing a campaign to recover the eastern Pacific green sea turtle population that was being eaten into extinction; stopping the proposed Nautical Ladder mega marina project in Baja and establishing a 45 mile private coastal reserve where two marinas were proposed; and helping to establish California’s 500,000 acre system of marine protected areas; Serge received the Surf Industry's (SIMA) Environmental Award, San Diego Zoological Society’s Conservation Medal as well as the California Coastal Commission’s “Coastal Hero” Award. He was also named a UC San Diego John Muir Fellow and honored as a Peter Benchley “Hero of the Sea.” The author of Saving the Gray Whale, Wild Sea, and Surfing the Border, Serge has been a commencement speaker at UC San Diego and a panelist and keynote speaker at the U.S. National Climate Adaptation Forum, UCLA Institute of the Environment, TEDx San Diego, California Coastal Resilience Conference and the International MPA Conference among others. Serge holds a B.A. in Political Science from UC San Diego, a M.S. in Geography from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D in Geography from the University of Texas at Austin.
Rafael Paredes Montesinos
Rafael leads conservation and land management efforts in a private reserve in Valle de los Cirios and an Area Voluntarily Designated for Conservation (ADVC) in Oaxaca. With experience in ecosystem conservation, protected areas management, and restoration across Mexico, he has held roles with the CONANP. He holds an M.Sc. from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California and a bachelor’s degree from the Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas.
State of Love & Trust Podcast
Born from a love of Pearl Jam and the music that shaped a generation, the State of Love & Trust podcast has evolved into something bigger: a conversation about why music matters. We explore the stories behind the songs, the artists who create them, and the cultural moments that give them lasting significance. At the intersection of music and meaning, we examine how art helps us process change, build community, challenge assumptions, and find hope in uncertain times. Whether we're revisiting a legendary album or unpacking the ideas that connect music to activism, identity, and resilience, every episode asks the same question: what can music teach us about being human?
Todd Glaser
Todd Glaser is a San Diego-born photographer who has spent most of his life either in the ocean or pointed toward it. Raised in Del Mar, California, he grew up surfing the reefs and beachbreaks of North County before picking up a camera as a kid. What began as trading beach sessions with friends became a lifelong pursuit of documenting the beauty, power, and unpredictability of surfing, along with the lifestyle, culture, and fashion that surround it. For more than two decades, Glaser has traveled the globe photographing the world's best surfers and waves, including Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Steph Gilmore, and Jack Johnson. He’s spent more than 15 years documenting defining moments in Kelly Slater's life and career, while also creating one of the most comprehensive visual records of Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch from its earliest days to today. Glaser is the author of two photography books, including Proximity and Kelly Slater: A Life of Waves, an intimate photographic portrait celebrating one of the greatest surfers of all time. A longtime staff photographer at SURFER magazine, he earned more than a dozen covers, and his work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, Outside Magazine, Men's Health, and GQ. His photographs are part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Commercial clients include Outerknown, Patagonia, Reef, La Mer, HBO, and Adobe. When he's not traveling, Glaser can usually be found surfing near his home in Solana Beach or exploring the world with his wife, Jenna, and their young daughter.
