About

Adam Bent is Scout’s CEO and leads the team to operationalize Scout’s mission – to become the most trusted seafood brand in North America while reducing food waste and protecting our oceans. He is also a  founding member of the Seafood Collab – an industry group comprising emerging seafood CPG brands who are committed to a regenerative ocean food system and increased consumer engagement in sustainable seafood. Previous to Scout, Adam was a technology entrepreneur building VC-backed businesses as the Co-Founder of thisopenspace and Uppercase.

His passion in food isn’t a new journey as he was the former VP at Provender, a TechStars backed online marketplace that addressed inefficiencies in local food delivery to the wholesale industry. Adam was the Canadian manager for Urbanspoon before its $50M acquisition and is a partner at Prairie Boy Organic Bakery in Toronto, Canada.

Adriana is the Responsible Seafood Strategy Director for Iberostar Hotels’ Wave of Change. In this role, she developed their Responsible Seafood Commitment and strategy to achieve 100% responsible seafood consumption in all Iberostar hotels by 2025.

She works closely with Iberostar’s purchasing team and their vendors to collect data on all seafood procurement and support improving sourcing. Adriana started her career in the seafood industry working at the family business, Sea Delight, one of GSSI first funding members, and later joined Fair Trade USA as their Business Development Manager for their seafood program.

Alf-Gøran was born in Kristiandsand, Norway. He has been salmon farming since 2005 and leading as CEO of Kvaroy Group since 2008. Kvaroy is a third generation, family owned company located just above the Arctic Circle in Norway. The company holds 5 licenses to produce salmon which allows Kvaroy to produce 8,000 tons of salmon a year. Alf-Gøran is also a member of the board for a number of companies in aquaculture and technology. Alf-Gøran is a former economics teacher and holds a degree in business and marketing. Alf-Gøran and his wife, Ida Knutsen, have three kids.

Andrea Weber started her career as a lawyer before she joined METRO in 2003. METRO is a leading international wholesale and food service distribution specialist. Andrea held different leading positions in the company, always connected to the area of environment and sustainability. As Director Corporate Responsibility, she is the single point of contact for METRO’s country operations in all matters of sustainability and assures the development and fostering of external partnerships.  She is an expert in responsible sourcing, with special focus on fish and seafood sourcing.

Andrea is chair of the Steering Board of the Global Tuna Alliance (GTA), a partnership working towards traceable, socially and environmentally responsible tuna as well as a member of the Steering Board of the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI), a global platform and partnership working towards more sustainable seafood. In addition, Andrea is member of the Advisory Board of the Safe Seaweed Coalition, a global partnership established to support the safety and sustainability of the seaweed industry.

Artistry, guest appreciation and hospitality belong in the discussion of sustainability. I have over 30 years of the fine dining experience and understand the importance of quality in all aspects of fine dining from sourcing ingredients and mentorship in my kitchen to placing the finished dish on the plate.

A chef has an obligation to honor the ingredients in a dish. As my career has progressed, I have learned honoring the ingredients includes more than the formulation of a dish but also in the origin and care of the product before it ever enters my kitchen. Thus I have grown to develop a hauntingly spiritual obligation to source sustainable ingredients and center them in my cooking.

I am passionate about sustainable seafood in particular because of my awe at the ocean. The ocean inspires me as a chef, challenges me as an athlete, and brings me joy as a person. I want to support the ocean and its ecosystems in my cooking. As an artist and a father promoting and creating relationships with suppliers that foster the future is my priority, from the smallest producers to the largest.

The journey of sustainability and artistry as a chef is one of constant growth, and intellectual curiosity.
Culinary Director Anaheim, Auberge Du Soleil, Mansion on Turtle Creek, Culinary Institute of America.

Angel has more than 30 years’ experience in the seafood sector since joined Pescanova in 1991. He took on the Nueva Pescanova’ s role of Chief CSR officer in 2017 developing the Responsible Action and Sustainability strategies. Angel has worked previously in various roles as Pescanova’s marketing manager, Pescanova Alimentación’s general manager, or Nueva Pescanova’ s Chief Human Resources officer. He holds a Chemistry degree from Madrid’s Complutense University, a master’s in business administration from ICADE University, a masters in sales and Marketing from I.E., and studies on public affairs from ESADE. He is a member of the steering board of GSSI and chairperson in the Spanish Ready-Meal Industry Association. Angel lives in the fishing port city of Vigo, Galicia, Spain.

Anton Immink has more than 25 years’ experience of aquaculture sector development across Asia, Africa and Europe. He has worked with international organisations, governments, major seafood buyers and supply chain companies, but Anton is most passionate about the long-term involvement of smallholder farmers in value chains.

He wants to find solutions for farmers and regulators to address the many challenges that aquaculture continues to face as the sector grows, including environmental management at farm and resource level, coordinated health control, sustainable and quality inputs, better use of data, and equitable access to innovation.

Anton is CEO of a new NGO called ThinkAqua that will work with partners around the world to address these challenges.

Becca Millstein is the CEO/co-founder of new tinned seafood company, Fishwife. Fishwife is a new female-founded and led food company aiming to make ethically-sourced, premium, and delicious tinned seafood a staple in every cupboard. We work with small boat fisherfolks, sustainable aquaculture farms, and microcanneries to bring the vibrance of European conservas culture to the North American table. Featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Refinery29, New York Magazine, Epicurious, Conde Nast Traveler, and other publications.

Beth Walton has spent her career in different aspects of the seafood world. A marine biologist and former oyster farmer, she has managed shellfish hatcheries, and taught students of all ages about the importance of sustainability and coastal conservation. Beth is now the Executive Director of Oyster South, a 501 (c) (3) non- profit whose mission is to connect communities and to provide resources to foster the success of oyster farming in the southern United States. We are an all-inclusive support system for the southern shellfish farming community. We work with shellfish farmers from North Carolina, south to Florida, and west to Texas as well as chefs, wholesalers, media, students, scientists, gear suppliers, and anyone who supports southern oyster farming.

Since receiving his degree in shellfish biology from the University of Washington in 1981 Bill Dewey has worked as a shellfish farmer in Washington State.  He is Director of Public Affairs for Taylor Shellfish Farms, the largest producer of farmed shellfish in the United States and he has owned and operated his own shellfish farm in Samish Bay for 25 years.

Mr. Dewey works on environmental, human health, aquaculture and regulatory policy issues at the local, state and federal levels on behalf of Taylor Shellfish and the broader shellfish industry. He serves on a number of boards and committees locally and nationally including the Board of Directors of the National Aquaculture Association and the Pacific Shellfish Institute.  He has served on the Puget Sound Partnership’s Ecosystem Coordination Board since its inception in 2007 and co-chairs the Washington Department of Ecology’s Ag Water Quality Advisory Committee with Director Laura Watson.  He served on Washington State’s Ocean Acidification Blue Ribbon Panel in 2011 and currently serves on the Washington Marine Resources Advisory Council (MRAC) advising Washington’s Governor and Legislature on the state’s response to ocean acidification.

Blake’s career is centered at the intersection of sustainable food production, climate change mitigation, and social justice. His interest in aquaculture flourished into a career and provided him the opportunity to farm mussels, participate in regulatory and policy development to advance offshore aquaculture within the United States, and support retailers, food service companies, and suppliers to implement sustainable seafood sourcing policies and best practices. He has consulted on numerous projects committed to delivering the vision of a humane and healthy planet. Past partners include the Environmental Defense Fund, one of the world’s leading environmental organizations and the Ventura Shellfish Enterprise, an innovative and scalable restorative aquaculture project designed to provide ecosystem benefits, healthy seafood, and coastal resilience against climate change while generating economic opportunities for working waterfront communities. He now leads the aquaculture program at Fair Trade USA™ as the Senior Program and Partnership Manager for Seafood, working to ensure sustainable livelihoods and safe working conditions for the world’s 20+ million people employed in the aquaculture sector.

Bob Rheault started a small shellfish hatchery while he was working on his PhD at URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography. He trademarked the Moonstone Oysters brand and established a marketing cooperative to distribute locally-farmed oysters nationwide. He sold his farm in 2007 now serves as the Executive Director of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association. He has served on NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Council and now sits on NOAA’s Science Advisory Board. His research  interests include documenting and evaluating the environmental services provided by shellfish aquaculture and using nutrient credit trading as a means to mitigate coastal eutrophication. He is a passionate advocate for the shellfish farming community.

Brett’s work at FishChoice is to design and implement technology tools to further FishChoice’s sustainability and business-focused programs. He is also responsible for the care and feeding of our two main websites FishChoice.com and FisheryProgress.org.

Conservation and sustainability are more than a job for Brett; it’s a way of life. To make a meaningful impact, Brett believes ecology and economies need to be considered together. The ocean conservation and sustainable seafood community understands this so Brett feels right at home here, despite being a vegetarian.

Prior to FishChoice, Brett ran his own consulting business, Digital Timber, which was designed specifically to bring practical technology tools to conservation work. He has worked on numerous tech projects in the ocean conservation community and on other environmental issues such as sugarcane and palm oil, as well as STEM education and social metrics. Brett has worked at the intersection of technology and sustainability for 15 years since getting his Master’s degree in Environment Management from Yale University.

Brice has been a key member of Heated Details for 8+ years, boasting a deep and broad Program Management & Product Development pedigree. Brice designed and implemented the HD Development process including release protocols, development reviews, release reviews and quality assurance protocols. He has overseen the design and development of multiple e-commerce and enterprise software solutions with customizations and automations From 2016 to 2019, Brice served as Senior Product Manager for OrionOne (as well as its partner/licensee TruTrace starting in 2018) until being promoted to Chief Product Officer. He has led the design, development and launch of numerous native mobile applications for clients and in various verticals.

Cora Hirashiki is passionate about fighting for social justice and a sustainable future for all. She loves creating media that tells stories and opens minds, inspiring people to think and act differently.

After graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Literature, she started her career in entertainment, working at Dick Clark Productions and a literary and talent management agency founded by Stacey Testro, executive producer of the SAW franchise.

Wanting to work with companies to drive positive change, she entered the impact marketing space and has 11 years of experience supporting purpose-driven brands and nonprofits. During her time at Infidea, she helped Larry Ellison in telling the story of his vision to transform the island of Lanai into a model of sustainability for the world before co-founding Sisu Creative, a digital marketing agency for socially-conscious companies.

Since then, she has founded Fat Moon Creative, a boutique creative agency that continues to champion mission-driven brands, including innovators in the sustainable aquaculture sector.

Corey is a passionate advocate for creative change and works with the Postelsia team to build sustainability solutions that are fully inclusive, equitable, solve problems for the whole supply chain. His recent work has focused on Southeast Asia where he has supported the development of the Asian Seafood Improvement Collaborative, a group of seafood industry stakeholders working to build their own fisheries and shrimp aquaculture improvement programs. In addition, Postelsia is working to develop an innovative restaurant sustainability program that builds upon its work with the James Beard Foundation’s Smart Catch program, for which Corey was the Sustainability Director. Corey has experience working on seafood sustainability assessments and standards. He also leads multi-stakeholder initiatives and helps buyers understand sustainability issues and meet their sustainability commitments. He has worked with Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, the Raincoast Conservation Society, Fish 2.0, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the James Beard Foundation, and the David Suzuki Foundation, among others. He has an M.Sc. in Marine Conservation Ecology from the University of Victoria. Corey is the Co-Founder of Postelsia.

Derek is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the company. He is known as a driven, innovative, strategic, results and relationship-focused leader with 30+ years of experience in sales, marketing, finance, and operations. Derek has been recognized as a thought leader for building Seattle Fish Company into one of the premier seafood distributors in the US and for his leadership in sustainable practices and initiatives, including as a co-founder of the nonprofit Sea Pact.

Emily McGregor is an environmental scientist and Regal Spring’s Group Sustainability Manager. Based in London, Emily leads the adoption of best practices and innovations in responsible aquaculture and corporate sustainability.

Emily has extensive expertise in sustainability standards and certification. She has driven policy projects to set global best practice in fisheries and ecosystem management in the world’s leading certification programs. She is well versed in stakeholder participatory processes, policy process and public consultation.

Emily holds a cross-disciplinary PhD from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, in fisheries, ecosystems, and multi-stakeholder practices.

Erick holds a BASc in Aquaculture Biotechnology, is certified in Business Management, holds a postgraduate degree in Financial Management, and is currently studying his Master’s in Engineering & Innovation, focused in industrial systems and processes.

Over the last decade, Erick has been serving as a key executive in the aquaculture industry, under the triple helix of academia, government and industry, where he has had the full scope of the aquaculture activity and has a broad vision of the opportunities to keep developing aquaculture in the Americas.

Erick was commercial manager for Baja Seas, coordinating post-harvest operations and introducing its Hiramasa (Seriola lalandi) to both Mexico and the US markets. Has been a professor of Agribusiness Development in the undergraduate program of Aquaculture Biotechnology.

Erick served as Director of Aquaculture in the State Government of Baja California, with responsibilities for governance, public policy, representation and promotion of the industry, and with full responsibility for managing and granting public funds to develop aquaculture in Baja California. He was Chief Financial Officer for Kampachi Farms (Seriola rivoliana), before moving over to Baja Shellfish Farms as CFO, where he is currently assuming full admin responsibility.

As Development and Innovation Officer at the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative, Eva Mudde is involved in the coordination and development of programmes implementing sustainable change across the global seafood sector. She currently spearheads the development of Seafood MAP and coordinates the work of the GSSI Seafood MAP partner taskforce. Eva also maintains the relations with GSSI’s affiliated partners.

Prior to joining GSSI, Eva conducted a research project with the UN FAO on the FAO-GSSI partnership, identifying key achievements of the partnership; and potential future collaborations to work towards more sustainable seafood for everyone.

Eva holds an MSc degree in Marine Biology from Wageningen University, the Netherlands.

Flavio has spent more than two decades working in responsible aquaculture globally for non-profit, intergovernmental, and for-profit organizations. As Aqua-Spark’s Director of Partnerships, he is responsible for driving the development and execution of a robust partner ecosystem that aligns all stakeholders behind a core vision, while supporting Aqua-Spark’s portfolio, network, and goals.

Prior to joining Aqua-Spark, Flavio worked for IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative, overseeing their Aquaculture Program. He was also IDH Vietnam Country Director, establishing groundbreaking public-private partnerships in coffee, tea, and apparel. He founded and ran the sustainability arm of the Vietnam association of farmers and fishers (VINAFIS). He has worked as an expert for over 20 international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Flavio holds an M.Sc. in Aquaculture from the University of Stirling and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology, the study of diseases in populations, from the University of Liverpool.

Fred Puckle Hobbs is COO of Sea Green, a Singapore based start-up developing an integrated coastal management system to optimise blue economy value chains for the benefit of the local communities that drive them. Founded in 2020, the company strives to facilitate holistic, sustainable impact during this decade of action.

A pioneer team member, Fred has overseen solution business design and technological development from the ground up, collaborating with partners from Indonesia and across the globe to deliver an industry-leading proposition. He brings deep, multi-region operational delivery experience from investment banking to the growing seaweed industry.

Sea Green is an integrated, end-to-end solution harnessing the potential of seaweed aquaculture to develop coastal community resilience, mitigate climate change and deliver food security.

Fritz comes from a German family of architects and philosophers. With a Master from ETH Zurich and several years in corporate architecture, he runs a boutique studio for private residential clients based out of Berlin.

Fritz is a lifelong, passionate student of philosophy, psychology, religions and sports. Becoming a father helped him shift his lens towards generational thinking and the necessity of designing system solutions better  suited for future generations. His aim is to ensure his children and grandchildren live in an abundant and thriving world. Raised as a self-professed urbanite, the transition into environmental work has been gradual, but profound.

As Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Fritz has been shaping Oceans 2050’s organization, strategy and concepts since its inception. He applies his unique skill set to design the Oceans 2050 ecosystem using architectural theory and practices to enforce a solid foundation, while also creating first-of-its-kind digital tools for the ocean community. Additionally, he serves as the Executive Director of the Oceans 2050 Foundation in Germany.

Gert is the Aquaculture and Fisheries Specialist at Woolworths, a premium quality retailer in South Africa. He provides strategic insights and technical support to the various Woolworths seafood departments and oversees Woolworths’ Fishing for the Future seafood sustainability programme. He works closely with Woolworths’ international and local seafood supply chains to deliver improved efficiencies and implement best management practices.

Gert has more than 20 years’ experience in the seafood industry and holds a Master’s degree in Livestock Industry Management: Aquaculture. He previously worked for Stellenbosch University, co-founded an abalone ranching company and has in the past also consulted to government institutions, non-government organisations and private companies.

Grzegorz is an IT Solutions Manager with 15+ years of experience in software development and systems integration projects.

In his current role at the International Trade Centre in Geneva, he is responsible for several IT platforms and projects within Sustainable and Inclusive Value Chains Section.

He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the Cracow University of Economics and speaks English, German and Polish.

A former international NGO’s manager, Han has been committed in enhancing the Chinese seafood industry’s capacity with more scientific information and better self-organization for a greener seafood supply-chain. Han co-founded the China Ocean NGO Forum and believes that sustainability needs to be defined with respect to local culture, economics, and society. Her work has been recognized by a number of awards, including being selected for the Obama Foundation Asia-Pacific Leaders program in 2019, and in 2020 being named to the ‘Gen.T List’ – the definitive list of young leaders shaping Asia’s future – for her work promoting sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in China.

China Blue Sustainability Institute (shortened as China Blue), established in 2015, is the first domestic NGO committed to promoting sustainable fishery and aquaculture in China. It catalyzes the transformation of Chinese seafood business towards sustainability through cross-sector research and communication.

Han holds degrees in Environmental Sciences from Rutgers University and Nanjing University.

Harry Yuli Susanto has worked in the aquaculture sector for 21 years, building on extensive field experience while working alongside multiple stakeholders in the industry. · Currently work as director of PT. Alter Trade Indonesia (PT. ATINA), processor and Exporter of Frozen Shrimp and Seafood Products.

He has helped to support the development on Southeast Asia Aquaculture and Fisheries through the Asian Seafood Improvement Collaborative (ASIC), a group of stakeholders working to build their own fisheries and shrimp aquaculture improvement tools. He is also member of “Aquaculture Technical Advisory Committee” – Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program. The Aquarium’s Seafood Watch® program is part of a comprehensive initiative to improve the sustainability of global fisheries and aquaculture through scientific research, policy leadership, industry partnerships, and business and consumer engagement. He also one of directors of the “Indonesian Fishery Producers Processing & Marketing Association” (AP5I) a entrepreneurs and professional associations in the field of processing, production, and marketing of fishery products. AP5I move in the corridors of the Law and Regulations applicable regulations issued by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the competent authority.

He also co-founder “Indonesian Shrimp Forum” (FUI) a group of multiple shrimp aquaculture stakeholder. Play a strategic role in analyzing the main obstacles and challenges, as well as formulating priority policy recommendations for the development of a sustainable shrimp industry in Indonesia. He has played a key role in his organization’s focus on development of small-scale aquaculture producers engaging in a unique “people-to-people” trade connecting between producers and consumers with the developing world handling “eco-food” items.

Ian first got interested in marine sciences after years of watching Jacques Cousteau on TV and reading all of his books. In 1974, Ian and his family found Penn Cove in the Puget Sound and started Penn Cove mussel farm in 1975 making it the first mussel farm on the west coast of North America.

Ian graduated Western Washington University in 1981 with a BS in Marine Resource Planning and Assessment. In 1986, after farming and working around the world in environmental and marine consulting, Ian bought the mussel farm from the family. Since then, the farm has expanded from six full time employees to over eighty.

In March of 1996, Penn Cove Mussels, Inc. entered a joint venture with the Coast Seafoods Company to form a joint venture, Penn Cove Shellfish, LLC. In 2016, Ian and Penn Cove began farming clams and oysters in addition to mussels.

James Arthur first got involved with the principles of aquaculture and regenerative ecology while still a teenager, volunteering at the Nature Interpretive Center in Chula Vista, California. Currently sailing in the Sea of Cortez and having lived aboard a sailboat for the greater part of a decade, James Arthur has had a lifelong and often daily connection to the ocean. As the founder of Omega Blue Seafood, he has been personally visiting both artisan and large commercial scale aquaculture projects for the past 7 years, vetting best in class operations and internationally sourcing sushi-grade seafood for Michelin Star Chefs and Farm-to-Table restaurants. In 2020 he founded SEATOPIA, the first 100% plastic and styrofoam-free direct-to-consumer seafood subscription box. James Arthur is also a lifelong surfer and a passionate environmental and editorial photographer.

Born and raised in China, Jane went to Ocean University of China for her bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature and Missouri State University for her master’s degree in Cross-cultural Communication. After joining the Global Seafood Alliance, formerly Global Aquaculture Alliance, Jane has immersed herself in all aspects of responsible seafood and engages with the global marketplace in favor of sourcing responsible seafood while applying her cross-cultural communication skills.

The Global Seafood Alliance is an international, nonprofit trade association dedicated to advancing responsible seafood practices through education, advocacy, and third-party assurances. Through the development of its Best Aquaculture Practices and Best Seafood Practices certification programs, GSA has become the leading provider of assurances for seafood globally. The organization’s work addresses the full spectrum of responsibility, from environmental responsibility and social accountability to food safety and animal health & welfare. Established in 1997 as the Global Aquaculture Alliance, GSA is headquartered in Portsmouth, N.H., USA.

Jennifer Bushman is a widely respected communicator, teacher and strategist. For more than two decades, Jennifer has worked with brands like Kvaroy Arctic Pacifico Aquaculture, Riverence Trout, Fair Trade Seafood, Love the Wild, and many more. She has worked within the sustainable seafood community for over five years, creating relationships between the aquaculture community, NGO’s, retailers, and consumers. She has taught thousands through her culinary school, Nothing to It!, In addition to the Marine Mammal Center, she sits on various ocean advocacy boards including Ocean’s 2050 founded by Alexandra Cousteau.

Jesse has spent her career promoting food with integrity and activating the edible approach to healthy communities, economies, and environments. Before joining Atlantic Sea Farms in 2019, Jesse worked with national and international mission driven food and beverage companies to tell their sustainability stories and educate consumers. Jesse, a native Midcoast Mainer, is deeply rooted in the lobster industry, and is dedicated to growing kelp aquaculture opportunities, providing new and sustainable ways for fishing families to diversify in the face of climate change, and continuing to work on the water for generations to come.