finance and antitrust litigation for several white-glove, corporate law firms, and was most notably a member of the litigation team that successfully sued 24 of the world's largest banks involved in the 2008 U.S. financial crisis.  A graduate of Columbia Law School, Ms. Blanks recently received her LL.M. in Estate Taxation from the University of Miami School of Law.  Over the years, Ms. Blanks has served on the Boards and been a Special Patron of the Young Collectors Council at the Guggenheim Museum, the Apollo Circle at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Contemporary Friends of the Studio Museum of Harlem, and the Young Patrons of Lincoln Center.  She has also been an active member of the New York State Bar Association, the Metropolitan Black Bar Association and has recently been inducted into the membership of the Brooklyn Chapter of The Girl Friends, Inc.  In her spare time Valerie likes to snowboard and cycle, as well as spend time on any beach that will have her.

executive, she has recently founded her own firm, Ashley Bradley Interiors, to focus on creative endeavors, and is currently pursuing a Masters degree in the Graduate School for Planning and the Environment at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Ashley lived in Manhattan for the past 20 years, but since moving to the Brooklyn waterfront with her husband and three children two years ago, has become passionate about the importance of the New York Harbor as a vital resource for the city. Ashley graduated magna cum laude from Denison University with a bachelor’s degree in history and received an MBA from the Leonard Stern School of Business with a concentration in finance.

Soccer United Marketing and a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors. Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, events, television, and league administration prior to becoming MLS commissioner. Before joining MLS, Garber was with the National Football League for 16 years. Under his leadership, MLS has experienced sustained growth in size and popularity in the United States and Canada. During his tenure, MLS has expanded from 10 to 30 teams and set records for attendance and broadcast revenue. MLS ranks seventh among global soccer leagues in average game attendance. Garber has been selected by SportsBusiness Journal as one of the sports industry's most powerful executives every year since 2005. In 2018, he was 16th on the list. In 2016, SportsBusiness Journal presented MLS with its award for League of the Year. In May 2019, Garber was named the Sports Business Journal Executive of the Year. Garber has received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from both Montclair State University and the State University of New York. He was also inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at his alma mater, SUNY Oneonta. Garber was elected into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2016, but deferred his enshrinement until 2018. Garber grew up in a second generation Jewish family. His mother's parents were socialists from Russia; his father's were Orthodox Jews from Poland. Garber's mother worked as a nursery school teacher and Garber's father as an accountant. He grew up in Queens, New York, during the 1960s and 1970s. In 2007, Garber formed MLS WORKS, the league's community outreach initiative, dedicated to addressing important social issues affecting young people throughout the United States and Canada.

the software and content company acquired by American Express in 2019. Twice under his leadership Resy was named one of Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies," in 2017 and again in 2019. Previously, Ben co-founded and led Eater.com, the award-winning food and restaurant digital media company. An entrepreneur, strategist, investor and tastemaker, Ben continues to work with chefs, restaurant brands, hospitality companies and technology startups around the world.  With Blackbird, Ben is excited to build the next great hospitality platform connecting restaurants and diners through the power of cutting edge technology.

where he is responsible for overseeing and driving the firm’s strategy and priorities across the region in partnership with country and business teams. Jorge has extensive experience across strategy and business transformation, with prior leadership roles at TD Bank and Monitor Deloitte. In parallel to his work in the private services sector, Jorge founded a research organization dedicated to fostering innovation and promoting best practices in sustainability and socially responsible investing through partnerships with leading non-profit and academic institutions. He has co-authored and contributed to numerous publications on inclusive green growth and development finance. He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the London School of Economics (LSE). Jorge has lived in eight different countries in the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East. He resides in New York City and is passionate about history and finding ways to deepen the connection between nature and the city.

restaurateur in Manhattan, particularly known for the acclaimed Crave Fishbar. With a knack for identifying culinary trends and an educational background in Accounting from Hofstra University, he bravely opened his first venture, Gallery Lounge at The Gershwin Hotel, at just 24. Owens not only recovered from a devastating crane accident in 2008 that forced his business to close but also triumphantly reopened as Crave Fishbar in Midtown East in 2012, further expanding to the UWS in 2015. His establishments are recognized for their commitment to sustainability as the first NYC restaurant partner of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program, and earning statuses like Certified B Corp and charter member of the James Beard Foundation's Smart Catch Program. Moreover, Brian's dedication extends to philanthropic efforts, notably raising over $190,000 for Bike MS NYC in support of his sister and multiple sclerosis research, earning him the 2022 A Partner In MS award from the National MS Society. His journey blends culinary business acumen with a strong commitment to ethical practices and community involvement.

of the maritime and restaurant industries. He is CEO of Ocean LLC, a holding company with subsidiaries operating across multiple sectors, but most widely known for their work in the restaurant world. In the words of CNN, “Restaurateurs Alex and Miles Pincus have changed the way New Yorkers drink and eat by tapping into the city's waterfronts and creating scenes where you can enjoy the tranquility of being on the water.” Their award-winning restaurants include Grand Banks (New York, NY), Seaworthy (New Orleans, LA), Pilot (Brooklyn, NY) and Island Oyster (Governors Island, NY) as well as the forthcoming Marine Co. 7 (Brooklyn, NY).

Capital Management, a NYC based investment firm, a position he has held since the firm’s inception in 2013. Kabir graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis. He has been actively involved in the BOP since being introduced to the organization in 2016. Kabir lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their three children.

on the board of the Brooklyn Museum and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and three children.

she relocated to New York City after spending a few years in Seattle. Ryan’s work is focused on international coordination. Her role consists of working to reduce carbon emissions for international freight. She has experience with working with carbon emissions and waste resulting from maritime shipping. When not working, Ryan loves volunteering in her community, something she has found to be a big part of her life for the past 10 years. She has done work with many different food banks and many led trash pick up efforts. Working to have a clean planet with less waste, trash, and pollution sparked her interest in the Billion Oyster Project. In her free time she likes to golf and read.

on the boats every summer until graduating college, and still, at the age of 28, works trips whenever his schedule allows. Additionally, Andrew fishes off his parents home on City Island in the Western Long Island Sound, where he often finds himself cleaning the shorelines and flipping rocks looking for oyster life. Andrew has read every book on the Marine ecology of NY Harbor and could not be more passionate about BOP's mission. Professionally, Andrew is a Managing Director at JLL's New York Office. Andrew's team leads the nonprofit, education and government practice, where he specializes in working with a variety of institutions to help ensure their real estate meets the needs and goals of the organization's mission. Andrew also advises corporate occupiers on their real estate strategy. Andrew graduated from Franklin & Marshall College with a B.A. in Economics. In his free time, Andrew jokes that he cannot sit still; he'll likely be on the water, hiking, biking, or playing ice hockey at Chelsea Piers.

worked for the strategy consulting firm, Promontory Financial Group, splitting his time between New York and Copenhagen. A resident of both coasts, Graham spent most of his childhood living in Connecticut, taking advantage of his proximity to the Long Island Sound for sailing, swimming and paddle boarding. Graham is a graduate of Washington and Lee University where he studied Accounting and Business.

oysters in sustaining the delicate ecology. She came across the Billion Oyster Project’s profound impact and is excited to contribute to its mission. Kate is on the Client Services and Investor Relations team at Millennium Management and holds a BBA in Economics from Baruch College. In addition to the Billion Oyster Project, Kate is involved with The New York Foundling and enjoys volunteering her time to help her New York City community.

media. Since graduating in 2021, she has worked at talent agency William Morris Endeavor in their Comedy Touring department, and previously interned with the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Cinematic Music Group, Milk Studios, and others. She has always been passionate about sustainability and education, having previously worked with the Illinois Attorney General's Office and Planned Parenthood to develop educational resources, and also working alongside organizations within her university to implement more environmentally sustainable policies. Ultimately, having always lived close to water, she looks forward to collaborating with the Billion Oyster Project to bring together her passions for community work and the city of New York. In her free time, you can find her studying jazz guitar, playing squash, or making custom playlists.

restaurants in Nantucket  and New York City, campaigns focused on advancing global health, water conservation, environmental justice and refugee rights. Emily graduated from Brown University with a concentration in Urban Studies.

team, advising on various sell-side M&A deals. He spent many summers working on the Fishers Island Oyster Farm, where he developed a deep appreciation for oysters and conservation. While working on the FI Oyster Farm, he founded an oyster shucking business, Summer Shuckers. Buford graduated from the University of Richmond in 2022, majoring in Business Administration with a Finance Concentration and a History Minor.