Founding Partners

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AdvanceCT is a private nonprofit economic development organization. AdvanceCT drives job creation and new capital investment in Connecticut through business attraction, retention, and expansion, in close cooperation with state, regional, and local partners.   

Tim Miller

Director, Business Development, Life Sciences

ClimateHaven is a global hub for climate entrepreneurship rooted in New Haven, CT. Built on a community of innovators, industry leaders, corporate partners, and investors, we are united by a shared vision to accelerate the transformative impact climate tech innovation can have on decarbonizing our global economy.  

Haley Lieberman, Interim Co-CEO  

Director of Community and Marketing

GreenWave replicates and scales regenerative ocean farms to create jobs and protect the planet. They train and support ocean farmers in the era of climate change, working with coastal communities around the world to create a blue economy - built and led by farmers. 

Kendall Barbery

Director: Partnerships and Program Development 

Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” As part of that mission, we feel strongly that we leverage our resources as storytellers and stewards of maritime history and industry to support and accelerate a sustainable regional blue economy. 

Christina Connett Brophy, PhD

Senior Vice President 

christina.brophy@mysticseaport.org 

Zoe Wills

Strategic Engagement Associate

zoe.wills@mysticseaport.org 

OceanX is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the ocean and bringing it back to the world. OceanX leverages cutting-edge technology and collaborates with scientists to embark on global expeditions, gathering critical data on unexplored and under-explored regions of the world. OceanX believes scientific exploration is key to protection. OceanX’s efforts aim to inspire action for ocean conservation by sharing discoveries through captivating documentaries, social media and educational initiatives, acting as a scientific explorer and storyteller, working to inspire action to safeguard our planet’s oceans.  

Vincent Pieribone

Co-CEO and Chief Science Officer

Founded in 1972, Project Oceanology is a non-profit education and research facility dedicated to nurturing student and public interest and enthusiasm for marine sciences and for the planet’s marine environment. Governed by local school districts and in collaboration with universities and other educational institutions; Project Oceanology's vision is to be the center of excellence for inquiry, and place-based science and marine education serving the evolving needs of our global community. 

J. Andrew Ely

Executive Director

aely@oceanology.org

The Southeastern CT Enterprise Region (seCTer) is the region’s designated private, non-profit Economic Development Organization. SeCTer provides a broad range of services and resources to stimulate and support economic development and diversification within Southeastern Connecticut. 

R.T. Hamilton Brown

Director, Economic Development Strategies and Business Services

Joe Violette

Business Retention & Expansion Specialist 

Paul Whitescarver

Executive Director

Launched in 2016, ThayerMahan, Inc. offers maritime domain data solutions and related services for government and industry customers. The company utilizes its expertise in underwater acoustics, artificial intelligence, remotely piloted systems, and maritime autonomy to deliver value to customers. ThayerMahan’s products and services detect marine mammals, mitigate offshore construction noise, and deliver a range of undersea detection and security services. 

Kevin Lopes

Vice President, Marketing, Ocean Technologies

The mission of the Avery Point campus of University of Connecticut, with an address at 1084 Shennecossett Rd., Groton, CT 06340, is aimed at “fulfilling UConn’s responsibilities as a Sea Grant institution. Avery Point contributes to the understanding – and solution – of problems relating to the intersection of oceans and people, both through the expertise of the faculty and the education of its students who will help ensure sustainable uses of marine resources and coastal regions and cities.” The campus is home to Connecticut Sea Grant, the CT Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), Mystic Aquarium Research Laboratories, National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology (NIUVT), Naval and Maritime Consortium, and Project Oceanology, UConn’s Connecticut Initiative on Environmental Research of Offshore Wind (CIEROW) and the offices of the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve (CT NERR). 

Syma A. Ebbin, Ph.D.

Research Coordinator, Connecticut Sea Grant

Professor in Residence, Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics

University of Connecticut

syma.ebbin@uconn.edu