Developing policy solutions for coastal cities is complex and inherently multi-disciplinary. Thus, our team includes expertise in science, policy, politics, design, community building, and communications. This convergence of complementary skills, plus our collective broad and deep networks, is our magic.
Co-Founders
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Ph.D.
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Ph.D.
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and Brooklyn native. She is co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for coastal cities, and co-creator of the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet, on climate solutions. She co-edited the bestselling climate anthology All We Can Save and co-founded The All We Can Save Project. Recently, she co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy. Previously, she was executive director of the Waitt Institute, developed policy at the EPA and NOAA, and taught as an adjunct professor at New York University. Dr. Johnson earned a BA from Harvard University in environmental science and public policy, and a Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in marine biology. She publishes widely, including in The New York Times, Washington Post, and Scientific American. She is on the 2021 Time 100 Next List and was named one of Elle’s 27 Women Leading on Climate. Outside magazine called her “the climate leader we need.” Find her @ayanaeliza.
Marquise Stillwell
Marquise Stillwell
Marquise Stillwell is a designer and a catalyst for building communities and products across design, art, and culture. His career spans across two decades, and his curiosity for people and spaces developed into a passion for designing systems to make environments better for all people. In 2009, Marquise founded Openbox -- a design research and planning studio based in New York City that works at the intersection of people, cities, and planet. Making products and services work better for the people who use them, Openbox applies innovative approaches to research and implementation into the built environment, with people and community needs considered every step along the way. Within Openbox, he later co-founded Opendox, a film company that tells lesser-known narratives around art, science, nature, and politics. Marquise has executive produced films such as Shield and Spear, The Limestone Conflict, Marfa, and most recently The New Bauhaus. He has also co-founded Deem Journal, a biannual print journal and online platform focused on design as social practice, and Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for the future of coastal cities. Most recently, he acquired Stae, a go-to open-source data hub that allows people to visualize and leverage open city data in a meaningful way. Additionally, Marquise serves as a board member for the Center for Architecture and on advisory boards for Creative Capital and Riverkeeper. He is also a member of the High Line Advisory Committee, a fellow at Urban Design Forum, and was a Founding Board Member and Co-Chair at The Lowline, the first underground park.
Jean Flemma
Jean Flemma
Jean Flemma is an expert in ocean policy and the politics of achieving policy change. She is an advisor for nonprofits and foundations on matters of ocean and climate policy, the Director of the Ocean Defense Initiative, and a co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab. She spent two decades advising members of the United States Congress on the conservation and sustainable management of our nation’s ocean and other natural resources. In addition to her congressional work, Jean also served as the Executive Director of Prairie Rivers Network where she now serves on the board. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Elakha Alliance and the Endangered Species Coalition. She began her career in public policy on Capitol Hill as a Sea Grant Fellow from the University of Washington where she got her Master’s degree in Marine Policy. She has an undergraduate degree in economics from Middlebury College.
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Ph.D.
Marquise Stillwell
Jean Flemma
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Ph.D.
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and Brooklyn native. She is co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for coastal cities, and co-creator of the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet, on climate solutions. She co-edited the bestselling climate anthology All We Can Save and co-founded The All We Can Save Project. Recently, she co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy. Previously, she was executive director of the Waitt Institute, developed policy at the EPA and NOAA, and taught as an adjunct professor at New York University. Dr. Johnson earned a BA from Harvard University in environmental science and public policy, and a Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in marine biology. She publishes widely, including in The New York Times, Washington Post, and Scientific American. She is on the 2021 Time 100 Next List and was named one of Elle’s 27 Women Leading on Climate. Outside magazine called her “the climate leader we need.” Find her @ayanaeliza.
Marquise Stillwell
Marquise Stillwell is a designer and a catalyst for building communities and products across design, art, and culture. His career spans across two decades, and his curiosity for people and spaces developed into a passion for designing systems to make environments better for all people. In 2009, Marquise founded Openbox -- a design research and planning studio based in New York City that works at the intersection of people, cities, and planet. Making products and services work better for the people who use them, Openbox applies innovative approaches to research and implementation into the built environment, with people and community needs considered every step along the way. Within Openbox, he later co-founded Opendox, a film company that tells lesser-known narratives around art, science, nature, and politics. Marquise has executive produced films such as Shield and Spear, The Limestone Conflict, Marfa, and most recently The New Bauhaus. He has also co-founded Deem Journal, a biannual print journal and online platform focused on design as social practice, and Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for the future of coastal cities. Most recently, he acquired Stae, a go-to open-source data hub that allows people to visualize and leverage open city data in a meaningful way. Additionally, Marquise serves as a board member for the Center for Architecture and on advisory boards for Creative Capital and Riverkeeper. He is also a member of the High Line Advisory Committee, a fellow at Urban Design Forum, and was a Founding Board Member and Co-Chair at The Lowline, the first underground park.
Jean Flemma
Jean Flemma is an expert in ocean policy and the politics of achieving policy change. She is an advisor for nonprofits and foundations on matters of ocean and climate policy, the Director of the Ocean Defense Initiative, and a co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab. She spent two decades advising members of the United States Congress on the conservation and sustainable management of our nation’s ocean and other natural resources. In addition to her congressional work, Jean also served as the Executive Director of Prairie Rivers Network where she now serves on the board. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Elakha Alliance and the Endangered Species Coalition. She began her career in public policy on Capitol Hill as a Sea Grant Fellow from the University of Washington where she got her Master’s degree in Marine Policy. She has an undergraduate degree in economics from Middlebury College.
Staff
Erica Asinas
policy lead
Erica Asinas
Erica Asinas is passionate about strengthening the science-policy interface to advance equitable climate resilience for historically underserved communities. Prior to joining Urban Ocean Lab, Erica was a research scientist at the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group, where she co-produced actionable science and facilitated collaborative, equity-focused adaptation planning processes with governments, tribes, and historically marginalized communities in the Northwest. In this role, Erica also helped launch the NOAA RISA for the Northwest and managed their Tribal Coastal Resilience program. At present, she is currently serving as an author for the United States’ Fifth National Climate Assessment. Erica received her MSc in City and Regional Planning from Pratt Institute, NY where she conducted her thesis on equitable pathways for community-driven managed retreat in cities. While in NYC, she also worked for several nonprofits, such as Earthjustice and the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance, providing technical assistance to environmental justice communities. Being born and raised in the Philippines – a country that experiences an average of 20 hurricanes per year – she has a strong attunement to systemic inequalities that perpetuate climate injustice. Driven by her lived and professional experiences, Erica is committed to evidence-based, healing-centered, and justice-oriented approaches to climate policy and planning.
lara croushore
managing director
lara croushore
Lara is a climate policy and urban sustainability expert. She has over a decade of experience developing policy and programs for the City of New York. Lara previously served as Chief Strategy Officer for climate and sustainability in the New York City Mayor’s Office. During her time at City Hall, Lara led citywide climate action planning — such as the development of New York City’s Green New Deal, OneNYC 2050 —and also managed New York City’s global city-to-city partnerships to scale climate action efforts with cities worldwide. Prior to the NYC Mayor’s Office, Lara was Vice President and head of Smart & Sustainable Cities at the New York City Economic Development Corporation. In this role, Lara led a multidisciplinary team to grow the green economy in New York City by working with local entrepreneurs and global business leaders to develop technologies and sustainable business strategies to confront our climate crisis. Lara believes in the collective power of cities to lead the way and create meaningful change in the fight against climate change. She has an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University, and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from Boston University.
SHEETAL SHAH
OPERATIONS & ENGAGEMENT LEAD
SHEETAL SHAH
Sheetal is a strategist and researcher whose work has focused on exploring the intersection of global water risks, design, and climate policy. Prior to joining Urban Ocean Lab, Sheetal helped launch A/D/O by MINI, a center for design research and programming in Brooklyn, New York. While at A/D/O, she developed community partnerships and oversaw Water Futures, an international design challenge and research program that promoted design-based solutions for the global water crisis. Sheetal recently received her M.S. in Energy & Environmental Policy and Global Economics from NYU’s Center for Global Affairs. During her studies, she conducted research for a private equity firm to identify funding gaps and investment opportunities in strategic infrastructure in the U.S. lower-middle market. As a first generation Indian-American, Sheetal regularly visits her family in Mumbai and has seen first-hand how low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by climate change. She believes that effective climate solutions must be designed alongside historically excluded groups, and is committed to furthering more equitable, just, and inclusive climate policies.
Jenisha shrestha
project manager, ocean justice forum
Jenisha shrestha
Jenisha Shrestha is the Chief of Staff to Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, and also serves as the Project Manager for the Ocean Justice Forum. Growing up in Kathmandu, Nepal, fueled her passion for sustainable development to develop policies for progress that promote living and working in harmony with the natural systems. Her multidisciplinary experience and expertise lies in scientific research, climate policy, sustainability management and economic development. Prior to joining Urban Ocean Lab as a Fellow, she was the Community Development Director at PermaCityLife, where she assisted in catalyzing a downtown revitalization in a former mill city - Franklin, NH. She has also served as Colby-Sawyer College’s first Sustainability Assistant to support the implementation of their climate action plan, and co-created the Sustainable Learning Initiative at Franklin Falls, an experiential learning opportunity for students. She was also a part of a collaborative research studying the transport of methylmercury from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems in the tributaries of Lake Sunapee, NH. Jenisha holds an MPA in environmental science and policy from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and a BS in environmental studies from Colby-Sawyer College, where she also received the Baccalaureate Award for Excellence.
Alexandra Carter
Policy Director
lara croushore
managing director
Erica Asinas
Erica Asinas is passionate about strengthening the science-policy interface to advance equitable climate resilience for historically underserved communities. Prior to joining Urban Ocean Lab, Erica was a research scientist at the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group, where she co-produced actionable science and facilitated collaborative, equity-focused adaptation planning processes with governments, tribes, and historically marginalized communities in the Northwest. In this role, Erica also helped launch the NOAA RISA for the Northwest and managed their Tribal Coastal Resilience program. At present, she is currently serving as an author for the United States’ Fifth National Climate Assessment. Erica received her MSc in City and Regional Planning from Pratt Institute, NY where she conducted her thesis on equitable pathways for community-driven managed retreat in cities. While in NYC, she also worked for several nonprofits, such as Earthjustice and the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance, providing technical assistance to environmental justice communities. Being born and raised in the Philippines – a country that experiences an average of 20 hurricanes per year – she has a strong attunement to systemic inequalities that perpetuate climate injustice. Driven by her lived and professional experiences, Erica is committed to evidence-based, healing-centered, and justice-oriented approaches to climate policy and planning.
Alexandra Carter
Ali is an ocean policy professional with over a decade of experience producing ocean and climate policy solutions on a national scale. Previously she worked at the American Clean Power Association advocating for the environmentally responsible development of offshore wind energy. She helped lead the ocean policy team at the Center for American Progress, publishing a varied body of work on ocean climate action, sustainable ocean farming, fisheries management, and coastal conservation. Ali also spent time working on Capitol Hill for Senator Jeff Merkley, which included advising the senator on natural resource policy. In addition to policy work, Ali has scientific field experience having worked in fisheries management for the California and Oregon Departments of Fish and Wildlife, and as a NOAA certified fisheries observer in Alaska. Ali earned her bachelor’s degree in marine biology, and environmental science and policy from California State University Long Beach. Outside of work, she enjoys being active outdoors and spends most of her weekends hiking, disc golfing, gardening, and open water swimming.
lara croushore
Lara is a climate policy and urban sustainability expert. She is currently Managing Director at Urban Ocean Lab, a policy think tank for the future of coastal cities. Lara previously served as Chief Strategy Officer for climate and sustainability in the New York City Mayor’s Office. During her time at City Hall, Lara led citywide climate action planning—such as the development of New York City’s ‘Green New Deal’—and also managed global climate partnerships to scale climate action efforts with cities worldwide. Prior to the NYC Mayor’s Office, Lara was Vice President and head of Smart & Sustainable Cities at the New York City Economic Development Corporation. In this role, Lara led a multidisciplinary team to grow the green economy in New York City by working with local entrepreneurs and global business leaders to develop technologies and sustainable business solutions to our climate crisis. She has an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University, and a BA in Environmental Science from Boston University.
SHEETAL SHAH
OPERATIONS & ENGAGEMENT LEAD
Jenisha shrestha
project manager, ocean justice forum
SHEETAL SHAH
Sheetal is a strategist and researcher whose work has focused on exploring the intersection of global water risks, design, and climate policy. Prior to joining Urban Ocean Lab, Sheetal helped launch A/D/O by MINI, a center for design research and programming in Brooklyn, New York. While at A/D/O, she developed community partnerships and oversaw Water Futures, an international design challenge and research program that promoted design-based solutions for the global water crisis. Sheetal recently received her M.S. in Energy & Environmental Policy and Global Economics from NYU’s Center for Global Affairs. During her studies, she conducted research for a private equity firm to identify funding gaps and investment opportunities in strategic infrastructure in the U.S. lower-middle market. As a first generation Indian-American, Sheetal regularly visits her family in Mumbai and has seen first-hand how low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by climate change. She believes that effective climate solutions must be designed alongside historically excluded groups, and is committed to furthering more equitable, just, and inclusive climate policies.
Jenisha shrestha
Jenisha Shrestha is the Chief of Staff to Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, and also serves as the Project Manager for the Ocean Justice Forum. Growing up in Kathmandu, Nepal, fueled her passion for sustainable development to develop policies for progress that promote living and working in harmony with the natural systems. Her multidisciplinary experience and expertise lies in scientific research, climate policy, sustainability management and economic development. Prior to joining Urban Ocean Lab as a Fellow, she was the Community Development Director at PermaCityLife, where she assisted in catalyzing a downtown revitalization in a former mill city - Franklin, NH. She has also served as Colby-Sawyer College’s first Sustainability Assistant to support the implementation of their climate action plan, and co-created the Sustainable Learning Initiative at Franklin Falls, an experiential learning opportunity for students. She was also a part of a collaborative research studying the transport of methylmercury from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems in the tributaries of Lake Sunapee, NH. Jenisha holds an MPA in environmental science and policy from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and a BS in environmental studies from Colby-Sawyer College, where she also received the Baccalaureate Award for Excellence.
Fellows
Natalie Cross
Natalie Cross
Natalie (she/her) is interested in co-creating coastal policy that is grounded in community, equity and justice. She is a researcher currently pursuing a self-designed M.S. degree in Stanford University’s Earth Systems program focused on the intersections between the fields of environmental justice, marine ecology and coastal policy. Hailing from a Caribbean family, she is particularly passionate about supporting historically marginalized communities, particularly those of small-island nations, who much too often bear the brunt of climate and environmental injustices. She received a B.S. with Honors also from Stanford’s Earth Systems program along with a Notation in Scientific Communication. She has previously worked with the Center for Ocean Solutions on policy projects relating to labor abuses and regulation of Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing, with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) on bioacoustic research relating to blue whale migratory behavior and has been heavily involved in community organizing to spread awareness about environmental justice and celebrate students of color in the environmental sciences on Stanford’s campus.
Isabel Jamerson
Isabel Jamerson
Isabel Jamerson was born and raised in Seattle, WA. In 2018 she graduated from Middlebury College with a Bachelor of Arts in Conservation Biology. As an undergrad she spent time researching the effects of long-line fishing on nurse sharks in the Caribbean, studying the natural history of beluga whales in the Kenai Peninsula, AK, and educating the public at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA. Upon graduating, she worked for the Washington State Department of Ecology as a Water Resource Specialist evaluating water use in salmon rearing basins. Isabel is currently a Master in Marine Affairs candidate at the University of Washington where she is studying the intersections of Indigenous resurgence and marine management. While in school, she served as a Public Policy Fellow for the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and contributed to climate, marine, and conservation policies. Isabel is passionate about creating equitable climate and coastal policies that support resilient cities and center community priorities.
Shangtong Li
Shangtong Li
Shangtong (Sandy) Li is working to communicate climate science and policy in engaging and accessible ways for audiences of diverse backgrounds. They are a recent graduate from the Columbia Climate School, where they co-created the Climate Resilience Literacy Handbook for Waterfront Alliance. Shangtong was the New York City Digital Advocacy Fellow with Riverkeeper translating New York climate and water policies into digestible and fun social media posts that sparked public action calling for policy change. They also have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Sculpture from Maryland Institute College of Art with a concentration in Sustainability and Social Practice. Their career goal is to make science and policy equitable and accessible through creative storytelling by involving and engaging communities, especially the marginalized, to thrive in our changing climate.
Maddy Traynor
Maddy Traynor
Maddy is a research, communications, and design professional interested in how climate science and policy can be communicated through written and visual storytelling. She is a Master of Arts candidate in the Climate and Society program at the Columbia Climate School, where she has focused her studies on coastal resiliency and regenerative ocean farming. In her career she hopes to contribute to mitigating and adapting to climate change through equitable community-based solutions. Her background is in regenerative agriculture and conservation, having most recently held positions at American Farmland Trust and Maliasili. She has a Bachelor of Arts in History and Geography as well as a Certificate in Sustainable Farming from the University of Vermont.
Natalie Cross
Isabel Jamerson
Shangtong Li
Natalie Cross
Natalie (she/her) is interested in co-creating coastal policy that is grounded in community, equity and justice. She is a researcher currently pursuing a self-designed M.S. degree in Stanford University’s Earth Systems program focused on the intersections between the fields of environmental justice, marine ecology and coastal policy. Hailing from a Caribbean family, she is particularly passionate about supporting historically marginalized communities, particularly those of small-island nations, who much too often bear the brunt of climate and environmental injustices. She received a B.S. with Honors also from Stanford’s Earth Systems program along with a Notation in Scientific Communication. She has previously worked with the Center for Ocean Solutions on policy projects relating to labor abuses and regulation of Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing, with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) on bioacoustic research relating to blue whale migratory behavior and has been heavily involved in community organizing to spread awareness about environmental justice and celebrate students of color in the environmental sciences on Stanford’s campus.
Isabel Jamerson
Isabel Jamerson was born and raised in Seattle, WA. In 2018 she graduated from Middlebury College with a Bachelor of Arts in Conservation Biology. As an undergrad she spent time researching the effects of long-line fishing on nurse sharks in the Caribbean, studying the natural history of beluga whales in the Kenai Peninsula, AK, and educating the public at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA. Upon graduating, she worked for the Washington State Department of Ecology as a Water Resource Specialist evaluating water use in salmon rearing basins. Isabel is currently a Master in Marine Affairs candidate at the University of Washington where she is studying the intersections of Indigenous resurgence and marine management. While in school, she served as a Public Policy Fellow for the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and contributed to climate, marine, and conservation policies. Isabel is passionate about creating equitable climate and coastal policies that support resilient cities and center community priorities.
Shangtong Li
Shangtong (Sandy) Li is working to communicate climate science and policy in engaging and accessible ways for audiences of diverse backgrounds. They are a recent graduate from the Columbia Climate School, where they co-created the Climate Resilience Literacy Handbook for Waterfront Alliance. Shangtong was the New York City Digital Advocacy Fellow with Riverkeeper translating New York climate and water policies into digestible and fun social media posts that sparked public action calling for policy change. They also have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Sculpture from Maryland Institute College of Art with a concentration in Sustainability and Social Practice. Their career goal is to make science and policy equitable and accessible through creative storytelling by involving and engaging communities, especially the marginalized, to thrive in our changing climate.
Alex Miller
Maddy Traynor
Alex Miller
Alex is an environmental researcher, designer, and communications professional who is focused on how cities can mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis. He recently earned his M.S. in Sustainable Environmental Systems from the Pratt Institute School of Architecture. His graduate program culminated in a capstone project that analyzed how coastal flooding in New York City will affect low-income renters and rental housing stock, and outlined a plan for the city to equitably and holistically address the issue. Before joining Urban Ocean Lab, Alex worked for the Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment at Pratt Institute, the Resiliency Planning and Management unit of the New York City Department of Transportation, and the New York League of Conservation Voters. He also worked in digital communications for several years before transitioning his career to focus on solutions to the climate crisis. He was a Digital Producer and Strategist for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, an architecture, engineering, and urban design firm, and a Digital Media Associate for TechnoServe, an international development NGO. Alex holds a B.S. in Business Administration from American University.
Maddy Traynor
Maddy is a research, communications, and design professional interested in how climate science and policy can be communicated through written and visual storytelling. She is a Master of Arts candidate in the Climate and Society program at the Columbia Climate School, where she has focused her studies on coastal resiliency and regenerative ocean farming. In her career she hopes to contribute to mitigating and adapting to climate change through equitable community-based solutions. Her background is in regenerative agriculture and conservation, having most recently held positions at American Farmland Trust and Maliasili. She has a Bachelor of Arts in History and Geography as well as a Certificate in Sustainable Farming from the University of Vermont.
Alumni
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Mahak Agrawal
Research fellow
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Eana Bacchiocchi
Research fellow
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Lily Cheng
Research fellow
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Megan Davis
Research fellow
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Dr. Lauren Linsmayer
Policy Lead
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Margaret Morrison
Research fellow
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Daniela Schulman
Research fellow
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Mitali Sharma
Research fellow
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Laier-Rayshon Smith
Research fellow
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Alex Swanson
Research fellow
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Sonia Wang
Research fellow
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Michele Zemplenyi
Research fellow
Advisors
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Paola Antonelli
ART & DESIGN
Senior Curator of Architecture & Design and Director of R&D, MoMA
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Michael Burger
CLIMATE LAW
Executive Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia University
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Teresa Christopher
ENVIRONMENTAL & Public POLICY
Head of Climate, Sustainability, and Environmental Policy, Amazon
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Bryan C. Lee Jr.
DESIGN & JUSTICE
Founder & Principal, Colloqate Design
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Peter de Menocal
OCEAN & CLIMATE SCIENCE
President and Director, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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Chad Nelsen
ACTIVISM & COMMUNITY
CEO, Surfrider Foundation
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Andrea Olshan
REAL ESTATE
CEO and President, Seritage Growth Properties
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Kate Orff
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Founder and Principal, SCAPE Studio
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Adam Wolfensohn
impact investing
CEO, Encourage Capital