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The Seasteading Institute ambassadors are volunteers committed to promoting the seasteading vision and representing the organization. Each ambassador's efforts are crucial to the success of The Seasteading Institute's movement building campaign. Ambassadors take on an important role representing the organization and advocating on behalf of the movement at conferences, schools, other events, online and through other special assignments. We seek to maximize the usefulness of any ambassador's unique skill set.
Anyone who believes that the world can be improved through seasteading can apply to be an ambassador. Ambassadors are expected to have a fluid understanding of the organization's mission, vision and strategy. They should be able to persuasively articulate these elements in order to encourage more people to join the seasteading movement.
Serving as an ambassador will be a rewarding experience for anyone inspired by the possibilities for seasteading to help humanity by propagating innovative startup governments. Ambassadors benefit from great opportunities to engage with interesting people at conferences and events. Whether you are ready to move to a seastead now or just excited to have seasteading exist, being a seasteading ambassador is not only experientially rewarding, but it is fun too. Ambassadors receive recognition. Serving as an ambassador provides someone with a greater level of visibility in the seasteading community. Ambassadors receive recognition throughout the year in a variety of ways:
– Listing on the Seasteading Institute's Ambassador web page
– Recognition in the organization's email newsletter
– Introduction and recognition at seasteading events where they volunteer
Ambassadors will also be provided with business cards with their names on them to aid in networking on behalf of the organization.
Ambassadors are asked to make a one-year commitment to the organization. During this year the work is likely to be sporadic. That is, at times ambassadors may find there are several obligations over a short period, while at other times there may be lulls without much to do. How much work an ambassador puts into the program will depend on how proactive she is in seeking opportunities to promote seasteading. There will likely be times when the organization finds an event in an ambassador's local area and requests the ambassador's attendance on our behalf. But the more proactive one is, the more publicity we will receive — which we appreciate. As part of the year-long commitment to be an ambassador, we expect ambassadors to do one of the following, or a combination thereof:
– Represent seasteading at events and/or host educational/networking events four times
– Post something online/write letters to editors of papers/magazines twice monthly
It is the responsibility of ambassadors to stay well informed of The Seasteading Institute's progress, since they will be serving as a liaison between the organization and the general public. Ambassadors are asked to:
– Table at conferences, schools and other events
– Give presentations when possible to interested audiences (if the ambassador is comfortable with public speaking)
– Host networking/educational events
– Actively promote seasteading through as many online channels as one can by generating buzz in chat rooms and blogs
– Spread seasteading stories to networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, etc
– Assist The Seasteading Institute staff on a project basis
– Suggest and actively seek out opportunities to promote seasteading
No. People from any political philosophy are welcome to apply to the ambassadors program, as long as they are excited about the idea of enabling many groups to experiment with a variety of innovative political systems. The Seasteading Institute as an organization is apolitical, even though it is made up of many people with strong political beliefs. The goal of the organization is to enable the creation of thousands of seasteads that will experiment with a variety of innovative political ideas. There is room on the high seas for many different beliefs, and there is room in our ambassador program for many beliefs as well. That said, ambassadors can choose to only represent The Seasteading Institute on occasions where they are comfortable interacting with others.
The online application is linked here and below. Ambassador candidates should familiarize themselves with the Seasteading Institute's mission, vision, strategy and primary website pages. Prospective ambassadors are required to submit a short essay (less than 500 words) explaining their desire to be one of The Seasteading Institute's ambassadors.
Ambassador candidates should fill out this form. A member of our team will contact you shortly afterward.
Tervuren, Belgium – LinkedIn – Facebook
Anders Arfelt has a rich history working with ocean industries and is planning to assist in our outreach to regulatory bodies and maritime organizations. He is currently director for a Dutch protection and indemnity insurance specialists company, where his specialties include maritime risk management for ocean vessels. Previously he was a senior international affairs officer at the Baltic International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the chief officer responsible for the development of emergency organization at Norwegian Cruise Line, and a maritime casualty manager and investigator at Skuld P&I. Anders holds an unlimited master's certificate for oceangoing vessels.
"I strongly believe that the solution to many of the problems experienced globally can be found in the maritime domain," states Anders. "Therefore, I really want to make full use of my vast maritime experience to further the objectives of The Seasteading Institute. I have practical maritime experience from sailing the largest oil tankers ever built, to sailing cruise ships with thousands of individuals on board, to organizing and assessing safety and investigating accidents. I have lobbied for the shipping industry in relevant international and global institutions in order to seek to influence regulators and administrators. I am convinced that the experience and business models used in the traditional shipping industry, as well as their regulatory framework, will provide many of the solutions required to establish maritime industries and eventually seasteads."
Los Angeles, California, USA
After graduating with honors from the University of California at Los Angeles, Allison received her Master's degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics. Allison is dedicated to disseminating innovative principles and practices of proprietary government in order to enable humankind to create a peaceful, stable, and durable civilization – a goal that has thus far not been achieved. Allison lives in Los Angeles and works as a marketing professional. Outside of work and the Seasteading Institute, she enjoys dancing, writing, running and yoga.
"Humankind's technological progress has far exceeded its social progress. This explains why we have the capacity to launch rockets into space or discover the composition of an atom, yet we are still plagued by the same problems as ever – war, corruption, famine and poverty. When the founding fathers of the United States of America declared We don't need a king, and established a democracy, this signified a monumental step forward in the direction of human freedom. But even a democracy does not allow for absolute freedom, for in a democracy, the minority is bound by the will of the majority. However, proprietary government offers an alternative. In proprietary government, people may choose to subscribe to goods and services in the same way they subscribe to non-governmental goods and services – by comparing the price and quality of items offered by a variety of competitors. I volunteer as an ambassador with The Seasteading Institute because I feel it is paramount to disseminate to the world a new vision of "government" – one that is proprietary, and that allows humankind to enjoy lasting peace and freedom."
Denmark & Singapore – LinkedIn – Facebook
Lasse Birk Olesen is an engineering student and columnist. He has been a friend of The Seasteading Institute since 2009. In the past he has arranged for Patri to speak in Denmark to an audience of more than 100, has given six of his own seasteading talks, administered our 2009 seastead design contest, written three letters to the editor about seasteading, and arranged three seasteading meet-ups in Copenhagen. As an official ambassador he has already given a talk to a group of 30 people.
Rock Hill, New York, USA – LinkedIn – Facebook
Charles is a high school student that has been involved with Monticello Eco Club, the Gary Johnson presidential campaign, Our America, GOProud, the Phillips Campaign, and his own online startup company called Streams and Bubbles. His interest in both politics and business has led him to be actively involved with seasteading. In August of 2011, Charles appeared as guest on the Adam vs. The Man news show to promote seasteading.
Silicon Valley, California, USA
Dan is CIO of the first commercial seasteading venture, Blueseed. Born and raised in Romania, Dan moved to the Bay Area in 2005, after getting his degree in computer science. Dan is an active promoter of seasteading, secular humanism, rationality, critical thinking and free market ideas, and attends events related to emerging technology, psychology, skepticism, behavioral economics and transhumanism. Before serving as a seasteading ambassador, Dan founded the Quantified Self forum and worked as a software globalization engineer for Yahoo!.
Bitcoin Embassy, Montreal – Website – Twitter – Facebook
Francis is involved in Project SAFE (Secure Access For Everyone), a global effort to grow a new Internet by those who value privacy, security and freedom. The goal of the SAFE Network (created by MaidSafe) is to replace today's existing server centric and intrusive systems with a fully decentralized and secure network made up by the individual users who contribute storage, computing power and bandwidth.
Francis is also an avid supporter of seasteading and intends to move to the first floating city. He is largely responsible for the recent redesign of seasteading.org and the launch of discuss.seasteading.org.
Cape Town, South Africa – LinkedIn – Facebook
Julian became interested in seasteading when he heard Patri predict on the BBC One Planet radio show that seasteads would attract two types of people—skilled migrants from developing countries, and entrepreneurial pioneers. Julian notes, "I am both those people."
"In my lifetime, over a million skilled individuals have fled South Africa due to problems created by seriously dysfunctional government. No doubt they went through immense stress and struggle to obtain work permits, residency and citizenship—all to be ruled by states that are only slightly better. For me, even an early seastead sounds like a superior prospect."
Seasteading also brings out Julian's entrepreneurial spirit.
"The business opportunities and challenges genuinely excite me, to say nothing of the technological and futuristic aspects. As an anarcho-capitalist, the chance to try revolutionary ideas and institutions that are prohibited on land is tantalizing. Actually living in a truly free society, that would be a dream come true…The end goal of seasteading is to catalyse technological progress in the industry that needs it most—the most important industry of all—governance. The effect this could have on global quality of life, and the course of human history, cannot be overstated."
Washington DC, USA
Jules Wellinghoff is an undergraduate student at Oberlin College majoring in Biology. His main areas of interest are human health, infectious diseases, and biologically-based technologies. He is excited about seasteading from an interest in intentional communities, the positive effects it could have on established governments, and its potential role in medical innovation by providing the opportunity to avoid burdensome regulations.
"My reasons for supporting seasteading are its potential to allow for new types and scopes of intentional communities, its ability to enable innovations in medicine and increased patient choice, and its likely role in improving governments of established countries… I am very much in agreement with The Seasteading Institute's stated belief that seasteading will improve established governments. Seasteading will allow for experimentation and competition in government structure which everyone, seasteaders and citizens of established countries alike, stand to benefit from. Further, I have witnessed how massive groups often result in inefficiency and lack of creativity in projects compared to small, tightly-knit groups. I believe that seasteading will allow for increased advances of all varieties by allowing people with shared motivations to more easily form communities united around common objectives."
New York, New York – LinkedIn
Reece Johnson is currently pursuing his Master's degree at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs with a focus on international security policy. He recently returned from India, where he has been doing research and planning for the Tibetan government-in-exile since 2012. Prior to this, Reece worked at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, where he developed a strong sense of how international relations is conceived and practiced through the eyes of policymakers, scholars, and business leaders. He sees the positive potential for seasteading experimentation zones that test the boundaries of governance through improved technology, competition, and dynamic geography, but also recognizes that an international system of competing sovereign states poses larger structural constraints on the viability of seasteading. As an ambassador, Reece wants to help tackle these challenges by framing the Institute's project in terms that make it both attractive to policymakers and a legitimate object of inquiry for international relations scholars.
"How we contextualize seasteading in a system of sovereign states that is frequently defined by power politics, cheating, and pathological violence is eminently important for determining how these states will view, use, and sanction it as a practice."
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Tony discovered seasteading while researching Panarchism and thought it was absolutely brilliant. Shortly afterwards, while working toward an MPA at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, he became the Institute"s first intern.
"I just really love seasteading – the tabula rasa-ness of it, the whole sci-fi pioneer angle, everything. I want to make connections with the first-movers in the seasteading industry. I've got a decent number of big ideas I want to see executed and this is the crowd to take them to…seasteading only has a couple of decades before it really blows up, so if I want to be known as one of the visionaries, as one of the harbingers of a radical new world paradigm."
Germany & Austria & Switzerland
Philipp Kalwies is a entrepreneur from Hamburg, northern Germany. He began a study of international economics at the Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg, but quit in order to pursue a career as an entrepreneur in Hamburg, giving sales trainings for sellers and taking responsibility for the promotional marketing of big hardware companies. As an anarcho-capitalist from birth, yearning for liberty, he always wanted to build his own anarchistic state. When he incidentally found seasteading he was immediately in favor of it and organized a talk by the Institute's founder Patri Friedman in Hamburg. In 2010 he organized the largest libertarian conference ever in Germany, at which Patri also spoke. Philipp has written articles for libertarian magazines and also gave a talk about seasteading to 250 members at the annual academy of the high IQ society Mensa in Germany. In 2011 he will speak again.
Côte d'Azur, France
Mathieu Blondel is a real estate agent living in Côte d'Azur, France, with previous experience in the restaurant business as well as agricultural and environmental engineering and banking. Prior to developing concept for a restaurant and selling two franchises, Mathieu worked for a French bank, and then for an FAO program, developing rurual credit for Haiti. As a coastal dweller, Mathieu is fascinated by constructions on the water, and is convinced that the future of humanity lies in colonization of the oceans. He believes the transition from fishing on the ocean to farming on the ocean represents an exciting stage of development, and wishes to participate in the establishment of the first city on the water. As an ambassador, Mathieu plans to study the present opportunities and obstacles to creating a seastead structure off the French Mediterranean Coast.
London, England – Website – LinkedIn – Facebook
Interested in design, architecture and entrepreneurship, James has studied at the Architectural Association, University College Dublin and the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is a fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the Encouragment of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) and has worked at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, de Smedt Architects and Kohn Pedersen Fox.
"I believe design will play a pivotal role in the success of each seastead and I hope to explicitly highlight the new opportunities and design potential of living at sea."
Hiawatha, Kansas, USA
Andrew graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) with a BS in Global Security and Intelligence Studies, and is now attending Kansas State University to pursue a degree in Entrepreneurship. While at ERAU, he was the Treasurer of the Student Government and the founder of his school's chapter of Young Americans for Liberty. He has experience working for the US Department of Defense, and also started his own intelligence company, www.ironsightsintel.com.
"The idea seems crazy, and that's what I like about it. Going to the moon once seemed crazy, but the men whose footprints still remain up there in the dust are now considered heroes. I greatly desire to be part of this project, to be a true pioneer of this new philosophy, boldly going where no one has gone before. More than a job, I desire a purpose and the means to sustain it."
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Joey currently resides in Indianapolis, IN and is a graduate of the University of Tennessee in Logistics & Global Supply Chain as well as a Six-Sigma Black Belt and has served in leadership roles in retail, international, and manufacturing industries. He is also the co-Founder of a product and services company called Myrmidon Industries Inc. (www.myrmidoninc.com) His volunteer work includes a child abuse prevention group, animal rescue, and he is a supporter of conservative political efforts. Joey enjoys a particular interest in history, evident in his company's name, and is an award winning power-lifter.
"When correct vs. incorrect becomes less important than the agenda regarding governance and society, debate is no longer effective or worthwhile, as a solution is thus no longer attainable. We are at a time where the need of this testing ground for ideas regarding governance and law, outside the strains of overwhelming regulation and skewed by tainted marketing efforts, is crucial. I am very eager to help the seasteading initiative grow and succeed."
Bratislava, Slovakia – LinkedIn
"I have been dreaming about this concept since I have been able to comprehend the size of oil rigs and restrictiveness of governments. I know this is a great proving ground for self-sufficient human colonies that are based on the newest of technologies that can help us prepare for colonization of space and avoid the mistakes of the past. This concept will enable the new countries to leap and bound over existing nations as it happened during the industrial revolution. I would like to be a part of this revolution as I see it as a great opportunity to forward a good cause. The concepts and hurdles are challenging in a way that is similar to those we will face when expanding into space commercially and thus a great opportunity to use my skills and learn to apply them to tough negotiations. I hope to open the eyes of those who doubt the possibilities and benefits of seasteading. With various crises sweeping the world, this may be the best way to introduce new philosophies and socio-economic concepts without much of the resistance one would experience in trying to shift established political and cultural systems throughout the established states. I am eager to be part of this revolution as I like to challenge the status quo."
Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA – LinkedIn – Facebook
Ryan is a documentary filmmaker who has produced a reality TV pilot and is currently producing 2 feature length documentary films to be released within the next few years. He has worked with an established music producer to do behind-the-scenes video production. Always the entrepreneur, he has Independently raised money for his projects, all of which he has an acute personal passion for.
"I am an ambassador because, A) I am happy to volunteer with something I really believe in, B) I like networking with others who are potential leaders/supporters of our cause, C) to have an active role in the organized seasteading movement and, D) to spread the word. I love introducing people to things that can improve their lives."
Athens, Greece
Manolis is currently a high school student in the Hellenic-American school of Greece in the International Baccalaureate. He's attended several tournaments for his school's Forensics Debate club, is a member of the M.U.N (Model United Nations), and attended the Political Committee in the Edinburgh Conference. On weekends he tutors children in immigrant schools and volunteers at the Greenpeace organization in Greece. Manolis writes for the school newspaper monthly and plans to study engineering.
"I strongly believe in political autonomy and societal justice in the sense that people have inherent rights to do what they desire, as long as they do not harm others. We live in a world where politics influence and shape our everyday lives. Being an Ambassador at the Seasteading Institute enables me to make a real, tangible change in the future of our globe. I am happy to be at the forefront of human progress and gain access into the constantly beating heart of international affairs."
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Kimberly Blozie is a scientist, fundraiser, writer and entrepreneur. She has a Bachelors Degree in Biochemistry from the University of New Hampshire and graduated with honors from Columbia University with a Masters of Science in Fundraising Management. Kim has co-launched, one nonprofit organization, Guernicaproject.org, which brings awareness to the multi-generational impact of war and one business, TrialX.com, an online, clinical trials matching and information service. She also recently managed the development department of the New York branch of EnlightenNext, an international, philosophical, nonprofit organization. For the past four years, she was the Manager of Clinical Research at Columbia University's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. Kim currently resides in New York and is working on a screenplay and science fiction novel.
"The world is ready for The Seasteading Institute. While there continues to be profound advances in technology, science, art, and philosophy, our shared values and agreements — the law and government by which we abide has not moved forward as quickly and often times seems destined for more paperwork and fine print. I am a Seasteading Institute ambassador because I am committed to bringing about a more evolved culture. Experimentation is essential to exploring the best way forward, and seasteads will offer a safe and peaceful means to do just that. Also, I can't think of anything more exciting to pioneer together."
Valladolid, Spain
Oliver is currently studying the last year of a Double Joint degree in Law and Business Administration at the University of Valladolid, Spain. Between December 2010 and June 2011 he worked as a research assistant at the department of "Business Organization and Product Marketing" at the university, collaborating on various scientific investigations that tried to figure out how internet and new technologies have changed consumers´ habits and influenced their decisions.
"I collaborate with the Seasteading Institute because I strongly believe in the idea that making the world a better place to live in is possible. However, this goal is not achievable only by promoting some ideas or by developing new theories about how that better world could be, but it is necessary to find the way to bring those ideas into the real world and to go from the "could be" to "this is." This is precisely what the Seasteading Institute is doing. In other words, the Seasteading Institute has found the way to overthrow the barriers to entry of the "government industry," to compete face to face with current governments and make possible new ways of governing. Imagination the only limit to this amazing project. Moreover, one of the fields with more possibilities to grow in the near future is that of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), a field I am very interested in that tries to find new ways of resolving conflicts beyond the current court system. An ADR system has many possibilities of being expanded in autonomous ocean communities."
Eugene, Oregon, USA
Will Chamberlain is a debate coach at the University of Oregon, and a co-author for the Let A Thousand Nations Bloom weblog. He graduated from University of the Pacific in 2010 with a B.A. in economics, and finished his senior year ranked #2 in the nation in NPTE parliamentary debate. In 2009 he worked for The Seasteading Institute as a research associate, and spoke at the 2009 Seasteading Conference on public choice theory and seasteading. He is planning on attending law school beginning in the fall of 2012.
"I believe very firmly in the importance of the seasteading movement, and am happy to be a part of it again. I believe the ambassador role perfectly suits my skillset and I am pleased to advocate for the institute."
Kailua, HI, USA
Being a surgeon, a member of a quintessential libertarian occupation, allowed Alex to travel and work around the world. From his native Poland he reached his present home in Hawaii, on his way observing people and their various political systems. Alex terminated his medical career a few years ago in order to promote new ideas based on extreme personal freedom and individual responsibility. He has had three novels dedicated to this subject published, in addition to some theoretical articles (see Scribd.com).
"People display amazing resourcefulness coping with their political masters but—so far—I have not encountered a government which would not benefit from some very substantial improvements. Why are we so stuck in the unsatisfactory—rooted in the 19th century—political system? One reason is lack of alternatives; all habitable land had been seized by powerful, military-backed plutocracies; they do not welcome any significant innovations. I believe that imaginative scenarios are important for "a common man" to realize that his or her option are much wider than conventional beliefs allow."
Lake Jackson, TX, USA
Alexis graduated from Texas Tech University with a BS in International Economics and a Minor in French. His number one passion is exploring the world around him. Currently he is working on a start-up seafood supply business as well as a political action website. He likes to read, write, and discuss freedom.
"My primary reason for applying to be an ambassador of the Seasteading Institute is to promote the principles of liberty and freedom, and to create a methodology that may be used to spearhead an initiative in leading the globe in a direction of eco-friendly, economic prosperity."
Astoria, NY, USA
Matt is an actor and small business owner living in New York City. He's drawn to the prospect of introducing competition and the price system into the field of government, and enabling new forms of spontaneous social order.
"This idea has the potential to revolutionize the world. These are big ideas, and I want to be a part of implementing them. When Seasteads start becoming more productive than landed operations, I want to know that I had a hand in making that happen. I want to help spread what could be the next big idea, and launch what could be the most profitable industry in human history."
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Alex Merced is a Libertarian Activist and Economic Theorist who blogs from AlexMerced.com and is active with the Ron Paul Campaign. He currently works as a securities licensing instructor on wall street training the younger generation to enter the financial industry.
"I am big on building alternative governance structures for the purpose of learning how society can coordinate its functions, and I spend much of my time teaching people the value in such efforts and would like to get more involved in making it happen."
Hempstead, New York
John James Pritsiolas is an undergraduate student at Hofstra University currently working at attaining a degree in both Finance and Information Technology. As a second generation Greek-American, he acknowledges the power of the market and is inclined as a budding entrepreneur to increase the quality of life for every individual. With that being stated, he is infatuated with technology and enjoys being an early adopter of a plethora of devices. On his spare time, he pursues his various interests in economics, history, and legal theory. As someone who enjoys maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle, he is also a very passionate ice hockey player as well. "I'm an ardent believer that Seasteading will bring about an advent in ground breaking medical research as well as expanding the frontier on alternative energy."
Boston, Massachusetts – LinkedIn – Facebook Baoguang Zhai is a sophomore at Tufts University. He is originally from Beijing, China. In high school, he was a short film producer, a soccer player and coach, and an environmental engineer. He also co-founded Co-ng.com, a niche-focused social network for Chinese students abroad, organizations and internship providers. He learned about seasteading in the Summer of 2011, and has since then created a development plan for the ocean industry and designed an ocean-based algae energy cultivation system. He is convinced that seasteading has the potential to change the world, and will work on it until the vision is realized.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – LinkedIn – Facebook – Personal Website
Although Mario was born in Colombia, he considers himself a World Citizen. He has lived in five countries, speaks Spanish, English, Italian and Portuguese fluently, and has some knowledge of French and Mandarin. He has worked since he was 19 to pay for his studies and his traveling. From working as a gardener and a housekeeper to a forensic engineer, Mario has successfully built his own international career path. Mario enjoys getting inspired by TED lectures and non-fiction books, particularly on the subjects of leadership, social psychology and futurism. Three of his greatest hobbies are bartending, socializing and dancing. Mario sees himself as a connector. He dreams with living in a more united world — a visa-less territory.
Bakersfield, California – Twitter – Website
Joe received his B.A. in Biological Sciences from California State University, Fresno and his Ph. D. in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine with an emphasis in Developmental and Cell Biology. He is a professor and Faculty Chair for the Bakersfield College Biology Department. Teaching awards include the Sam McCall Teacher of the Year and recipient of the Norm Levin Faculty Research Grant. His teaching philosophy is to help students attain their academic, professional and personal goals.
"The unifying theme in Biology is evolution through natural selection. Genetic variation and competition provides species the opportunity to evolve with a changing environment. The mission of the Seasteading Institute mirrors the concept of natural selection; provide an environment for various ideas, allow competition and better innovations will succeed. Using science to promote innovation and enable societal decisions based on evidence will allow for technological advancement, economic prosperity and political harmony."
Austin, Texas – Facebook – LinkedIn
George McHugh is a supply chain management major at the University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of business; he will be graduating December 2012. George founded The Mises Circle on his campus, a group to fill the function of a "counter-economics department" until a course or seminar on Austrian economics is offered at his university. The group is rapidly growing in popularity. During the 2009-2010 year, George was a Rotary Youth Exchange Student Ambassador in Belgium, where he lived with three local families, attended high school, and learned a new language and culture.
"I've been a big advocate of seasteading ever since hearing about it in 2008."
Nashville, Tennessee – Facebook – Twitter
Kenny Tan is currently a sophomore at Vanderbilt University, majoring in Economics, with a minor in Computer Science and Financial Economics. Kenny founded the Young Americans for Liberty chapter at Vanderbilt within the first weeks of his arrival on campus. In addition to making the YAL chapter at Vanderbilt one of YAL's most active chapters nationwide, Kenny also serves in Vanderbilt Student Government as the Area Representative for Alumni Lawn. He is currently a senior columnist for the Vanderbilt Torch, the conservative/libertarian monthly campus publication, and a staff reporter and opinion columnist for the Vanderbilt Hustler, the semiweekly official campus newspaper.
Naples, FL – Website – Facebook – LinkedIn
"I am a futurist and I believe in disruption in regards to social, entrepreneurship, resources, media, technology, currency and innovation, Since the existence of man, there has always been a political and social order that has left man to be controlled by its policies/bureaucracies and its laws. The Seasteading Institute is one of those modern movements to empower political and social change, promote global and innovative ideas, for those who yearn to be truly free from the shackles of laws that hinder us."
Atlanta, Georgia – Website – Facebook – Twitter – LinkedIn
Faruq has spent more than 18 years in the international business scene in over 48 countries. As an individual with natural survival skills and an unrelenting sense of curiosity, Faruq worked odd jobs in Clevelend, Ohio to raise the money for his first international trip for his collegiate studies as a 14 year old high school graduate in the International University of Africa in Khartoum, Sudan. The trip sparked a lifelong love for exploring international business opportunities and for experiencing the richness of other peoples' culture first hand. Faruq co-founded his first software development company in 2001. During this period he consulted with companies such as Bellsouth, Coca-Cola and Delta to spearhead efforts that saved some of the country's most prominent mid-sized businesses millions of dollars. He has also spent a considerable amount of time working throughout Southeast Asia, The Middle East, Northern Africa, Central and South America and Eastern Europe. He has held positions as Chief Operations Officer, Chief Technical Officer and VP of Operations with various international companies. Now on his third passport at the ripe age of 34, Faruq spends 65% of the year traveling through over 25 countries as the President of Global Operations for GeniusCo, promoting and establishing branches for GeniusCorps. GeniusCorps is the world's first Global IT Services group that focuses on empowering IT professionals, IT companies and the companies that sell to them. In simple terms, the internet empowers the world, GeniusCorps empowers the guys who build the Internet and Faruq Hunter is one of the individuals who empower GeniusCorps. Not the average job for not the average person. He works on the principle that detailed analytics and strategic planning have to be met with bold, consistent and aggressive action to achieve international success.
New Delhi, India – Facebook
Aditya Bakshi serves in the Merchant Marine as a Chief Officer and has sailed on all kinds of vessels and all around the world. He brings his extensive knowledge and experience of the maritime industry, and has authored technical papers on maritime security as well as a book, titled "Terror on the High Seas." More recently, Aditya penned a graphic novel series, "Indian War Comics," and has received a good response. The series gives a real-life portrayal of martyrs and terrorist incidents affecting India, to promote an anti-terror sentiment, and encourage his people to rise above their differences. As an ambassador, Aditya hopes to assist the mission of seasteading by providing technical advice in his key areas of expertise, and promote the vision through graphic novels, animation and other outreach. Lastly, Aditya believes that seasteaders will go down in history as the pioneers of the "Aquarian Age."
Melbourne Beach, Florida – LinkedIn – Twitter – Facebook – Terasemian
Gabriel is originally from Washington DC where, as a child, he observed his father pioneer the Satellite Communications and Biotechnology industries as well as the LGBT movement. After studying Political Philosophy at UVM Gabriel heeded the advice of the most successful people he knew, who all regretted not having children earlier in life, and moved to Homewood, AL with his wife, where they had four children. Gabriel, a self-proclaimed 'professional amateur' is currently a US Congressional Candidate in FL-8, the Space Coast of Florida. He is passionate that the answers to our most perplexing problems will be found at sea, and that the resources of the Space Coast are the most fertile ground to launch seasteading from.
"From sustainable technologies to innovative political systems seasteading represents a hands-on approach to our future."
Oxford, England – Facebook
Niraj Dalmia is a veteran performance management consultant for multinational clients in 14 industries across 12 countries. He has also designed solutions using technology to reduce carbon footprint and is actively researching on the relationship between corporate responsibility and strategy. Outside of work, he is a guitarist with the Royal Conservatory of Music (Canada) and has been a social volunteer for UN and a school for the blind. Having lived in eight countries and as an avid documentary-maker, he enjoys connecting with diverse people and believes in living life abundantly. Niraj is a CA (India) and CPA (USA), is currently pursuing an MBA from Oxford University's Said Business School and plans to take that forward with a Master of Science in Management Studies degree from MIT. Niraj believes that The Seasteading Institute provides the best solution for our race to emerge out of the national boundaries that constrain human potential.
"As Einstein put it – 'We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." – I strongly believe in the Seasteading Institute and aim to help make it the revolution of this century."
Bowling Green, Ohio – Facebook – Website – Twitter – LinkedIn
Chance Stoodt studies Political Science and Philosophy at Bowling Green State University. In 2011, he organized a Young Americans for Liberty chapter on his campus from scratch, and it is now the most active political group on campus. Additionally, Chance has a weekly column in the school newspaper, "The BG News," where he writes opinion pieces on politics and philosophy, and their application to students' everyday lives. This year, Chance will be serving as a campus coordinator for Students for Liberty, whereby he will promote the organization and liberty movement in his region.
"Throughout the course of human history, mankind has developed tools to overcome obstacles. From the wheel and airplane to evolve transportation to the modern movements like the Seasteading Institute, we continue to progress to a more efficient and overall improved lifestyle."
Chicago, Illinois – Website – Twitter – LinkedIn
Abi Noda is a software engineer, product designer, and entrepreneur currently working (as of August 2012) on the technology team for the 2012 Obama re-election campaign. He is the co-founder of OrangeQC, a software company which provides mobile quality control solutions for the healthcare and facility management industries. Prior to founding OrangeQC, Abi was a Technical Lead at Doejo where he managed digital ventures and client projects for Groupon, Today's Chicago Woman, and Ice Cream Man. Abi is focused on the application of technology in politics, government, and education.
"Technology has changed the way we connect and identify with each other at a personal, national, and global scale. As the ebb and flow of the world's citizens change, it has become increasingly evident that the political systems that control us are inefficient at representing and serving their respective citizens."
Rome, Italy – Facebook – Website – Twitter
Alessio Nanni is an artist and activist with many passions, from animal rights to environmentalism to micronations. Alessio is currently working on a series of projects to raise awareness and accelerate changes that would protect the entire planet's inhabitants, both humans and animals. He is founder of a political party in Italy working for animal rights, and seeks to one day establish a seastead to advance the party's objectives through demonstration instead of argument.
Stanford, California – Facebook – LinkedIn
Chad La Tourette studies Earth Systems at Stanford University, and is very passionate about playing a direct role in the future of the oceans, and humankind's place in their colonization. Chad views seasteading as a unique and promising vision for protecting the health of our oceans without having to worry about the burden of some of the most crippling environmental regulations. As an environmental studies major, he has researched the economic collapse of fisheries across the globe. He believes permanent ocean colonization will be crucial in aiding our understanding of the overall health of the ocean, and will help us prevent the further collapse of major ocean resources in the future.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Facebook – LinkedIn – Twitter
Sean Hickman has been interested in topics such as politics, governance, and international affairs since a young age. Having been raised in a region in Spain where there is a significant separatist movement, he also became interested in geopolitics and challenges to current political systems, developing a skepticism towards the geographical and territorial status quo in the world, and noticing the obvious inefficiency of the international political system. Having taken many international relations and politics courses at his university in Amsterdam, Sean had the chance to write papers and present on secessionist movements, new country projects, and challenges to the international political order. During his research for a papers in early 2011, Sean came across The Seasteading Institute, and was instantly intrigued by its mission, the reasons behind it, and its strategy for accomplishing it. He feels especially strongly about the need for innovation in politics and governance in the 21st Century, and in January 2012, he volunteered to write a research paper on flagging options for early seasteading ventures. Now that Sean has completed his Bachelors degree, he is eager to continue contributing as an ambassador.
Portland, Oregon – Website – Facebook
Born and raised near Portland, Oregon, Josiah is always looking to get involved in emerging technologies and entrepreneurial opportunities. He has served his community not only in political arenas, but also by joining local Startup networks, including a new community, the PDX Think Tank. Online, Josiah satisfies his hunger for future studies by moderating forums dedicated to speculation of and discussion regarding emerging technologies and future studies.
"For as long as I can remember I've been infatuated with futurist city and government models. My interests in public policy and future studies have fueled my dream of revolutionary infrastructures that enhance civilization and the human experience. Though technology accelerates at an exponential rate, my fear is that governments and legislation are falling behind, even hindering progress… I've spent a considerable amount of times studying futurist politics, and now I want to help implement them. I love to spread ideas I'm passionate about, and The Seasteading Institute is one of them."
Austin, Texas – GeoSeq® Website –LinkedIn
Veronica Brieno Rankin, LL.M. is Founder and President of GeoSeq® International, LLC, and an Associate Editor for Oil, Gas, and Energy Law (OGEL) Intelligence. A former Commissioned Officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Corps, she possesses unique ship handling experience in actual offshore environments. She completed three years of education toward a PhD in Geology at Michigan Technological University, and earned her Master of Laws degree at the prestigious Centre of Energy, Petroleum, & Mineral Law & Policy at the University of Dundee in the United Kingdom. Previously, she earned her BS degree in Earth Science at University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. Veronica was an Invited Expert Reviewer to 4 IPCC reports leading up to the organization's 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Co-Laureate Award.
"I strongly believe that if we can maximize the surface area that comprises our jurisdictionally underdeveloped maritime environment, we will be able to offer a technologically sustainable future without compromising our planet's carrying capacity."
Gilbert, Arizona – LinkedIn
Jarrett Benkendorfer recently graduated with honors from the University of Arizona with a degree in Political Science. He serves as a Precinct Committeeman in his home state of Arizona, and also works as a respite provider for children with autism. As an undergraduate, Jarrett was extensively involved in student government and spent much of his academic focus on philosophy, politics and law. He came across the Seasteading Institute while writing a paper on how the principles of Austrian economics could benefit developing societies. Immediately, Jarrett became enamored with the social scientific ideas of creating seasteading communities, in which different ideas for governance can be demonstrated as effective or ineffective.
"International crises have sparked outcries in regions across the globe, but social scientists and politicians are unsure what policies and systems need to be in place in order to promote peace. Seasteading is a pioneering venture that can promote freedom, and I would very much like to become a part of the process."
Gill, Colorado – Blog – Facebook
Born and raised near Denver, Colorado, Austin Hawkins has consistently sought out new challenges and adventure. After graduating from high School in May, Austin reluctantly began to continue his education at University of North Colorado due to conformity and outside pressure. However, as Fall approached, he quickly realized he was going to be spending the next four years of his life wasting time as a marketing major, when in reality he wanted to write for a living and gain real-world experience. Soon after school began, he dropped out and started working on short stories and a novel. Due to his interest in political science, Austin was drawn to The Seasteading Institute where he hopes to engage in politics in a more direct and participatory manner, rather than simply observing it from afar. In addition to his writing ambitions, Austin has studied film and acting and is seeking investors for a documentary film project focused on religion and its effects on culture.
Washington D.C.
Dannie Bolden is a Sophomore at Howard University in Washington D.C., where he is currently majoring in Political Science. Dannie Bolden was born in Anchorage, Alaska where his early years consisted of learning and interacting with his grade school peers and instructors. During this time he developed Philanthropia, which is a love of humanity and the world. Having lived in many different parts of the country, Dannie has had the privilege of meeting many great and influential people. These people, along with his Philanthropia, have driven him to work hard towards ensuring a better future for the world. Some of these people, including fellow students at Howard University, have stated that the future of America holds limited opportunities for them. Dannie hopes to counter this notion by presenting the message of seasteading to his community. Dannie hopes to inspire everyone to meet their full potential, and to pursue the great treasures that lie ahead for humanity.
"At this point in history, it is the most opportune time for any person seeking to tap into the next undiscovered job sector to analyze Seasteading. Seasteading, in my opinion, is one of the next revolutionary advancements to be unleashed in this new era of humanity. It is important to hop on board now, and to not get left behind. As an Ambassador I will ensure that no one will get left behind."
Côte d'Azur, France
Mathieu Blondel is a real estate agent living in Côte d'Azur, France, with previous experience in the restaurant business as well as agricultural and environmental engineering and banking. Prior to developing concept for a restaurant and selling two franchises, Mathieu worked for a French bank, and then for an FAO program, developing rurual credit for Haiti. As a coastal dweller, Mathieu is fascinated by constructions on the water, and is convinced that the future of humanity lies in colonization of the oceans. He believes the transition from fishing on the ocean to farming on the ocean represents an exciting stage of development, and wishes to participate in the establishment of the first city on the water. As an ambassador, Mathieu plans to study the present opportunities and obstacles to creating a seastead structure off the French Mediterranean Coast.
Oakland, California
Jeff Fong has lived in many different states, spent time in numerous countries, and seen the difference good rules can make. As an athlete, he also saw how the rules dictated the nature of the game. When Jeff was exposed to this same idea in the realm of political economy – that rules matter – the logic of seasteading seemed straightforward. Jeff has extensively studied the concepts of competitive governance, and has written about decentralized government and the importance of federalist experiments for Policy Mic, the world's largest news site for and by millennials. He also collaborates with groups and individuals in the related Startup Cities movement. As an ambassador, Jeff seeks to engage the public with ideas motivating competitive governance in general and seasteading in particular.
"Ultimately, our problems may be less about always having the right answers and more about learning how to ask the right questions."
Athens, Greece – Website – Facebook
Filippos Lymperopoulos is currently an International Baccalaureate student at the Hellenic American Educational Foundation (H.A.E.F.). He is a member of his school's M.U.N. (Model United Nations) and has attended THIMUN and the Edinburgh Conference as a delegate of the Environmental Committee. He was also a volunteer of Lifeworks International in Ecuador and the Amazon Rainforest, and is an editor for his school's newspaper. Filippos has participated in conferences with the Unesco Club, was his school's ambassador in the ACSTAC Technology Conference, and is a co-founder of the websites www.bethechange.com.gr and www.mathitesendrasi.gr. He has also participated in a Greek-American Exchange Program, served as President of his school's Student Council, and plans to study engineering. As an ambassador, Filippos hopes to recruit intelligent and thoughtful collaborators, whose priorities do not only aim at technological and scientific advancements, but also fall within a framework of ethics that safeguard the common good.
"Seasteading in its optimal form could provide a new sort of modern utopia, in the ancient Greek sense of the word, where excellence is the empowering force, thus creating knowledgeable, sophisticated citizens who take pride in working for the common good."
Kalamazoo, Michigan – Personal Twitter – Business Twitter
Kyle Simpson was born and raised in Michigan, learning quickly of the beauty of the world. Raised on a lake, he took his first swim lessons when he was 8 months old, and is a "water-baby" in every respect. Kyle lived a privileged upbringing, something he believes everyone deserves. He joined the ambassadors team because he is tired of engaging in mere thought experiments, and wants to see seasteading fleshed out into the light of day, to see the world take a giant leap into the future, and to reveal what humanity can be. Kyle is currently majoring Physics, with a specialty towards Electrical Engineering, and minoring in Mathematics at Western Michigan University.
"I envision this as a new golden age, where society rises up, and sheds off the shackles of its past limitations. I see global education as a crucial step into enlightenment of the world, and I think a Seastead will be one of the first communities to offer itself up to world, for the greater good."
Alpharetta, GA – Facebook – LinkedIn
Tal Tsfany is currently a Vice President of Amdocs, a leading global telecommunications IT and software provider. He is also a board member of a fast-growing startup, Base, which is working to redefine the world of customer relationship management (CRM). A 42-year-old husband and father of three, Tal moved from Israel to Atlanta, Georgia in 2006. By the age of 27, he was the CEO of a 650 person test preparation company. Tal is also a co-founder of the Ayn Rand Center in Israel, and is writing a children's book and screenplay based on an Objectivist philosophy, including its epistemology and ethics.
"Seasteading could be the next step towards a securing a future of total individual freedom for my kids and many other kids. I believe that with the intellectual power that can be recruited and the technologies that can be leveraged, this vision has a good chance of materializing in the mid-term future."
Hong Kong – Blog
Leonhard comes from a small but fairly autonomous region in the mountains of Italy, where he learned early how well small local governments perform when compared to their centralist counterparts. He went on to study economics in Vienna, prompting an interest in the ideas of competitive governance and seasteading. Leonhard currently lives in Hong Kong, where a metropolis struggles and strives between an authoritarian government and a laissez-faire economy, and where moving onto the waters seems like a very logical next step. Since earning a Masters degree in statistics, he has been working with a small data collection/analysis startup as a data miner, and is currently engaged in a promising idea around mobile microevent management (imagine a mobile, spontaneous version of meetup.com). Leonhard hopes to arrange a meetup group in Hong Kong for people who are interested in discussing political philosophy. He also plans to promote the vision of seasteading through boat tours, taking advantage of the city's industrial harbor and existing boating culture to create attractive events.
"I believe the people in Hong Kong who are curious and supportive of the idea should be regularly brought together, and maybe one day we can move out of the Pearl River Delta into the unchartered territories of the South China Sea."
Madison, Wisconsin – LinkedIn
Alexander Kreindler graduated in 2012 from the University of Wisconsin, where he studied mathematics, philosophy, and computer science. A world traveler, Alexander lived in France until the age of two and then in Frankfurt, Germany until he was 16. As an undergraduate, he started a student-run hedge fund, worked on Wall Street, and developed a strong interest in complex systems and political philosophy. Alexander is currently the co-founder and CEO of a social media startup, WomStreet. He hopes to create awareness of and spread this vision through his travels and connections to influential people.
"Today we have the technological know-how to produce systems that make sure all humans can live long, interesting, healthy lives, that aren't consumed by mundane jobs that do not further anything – and without consuming the Earth in the process! It is time for the technological revolution that will enable this to happen. It is time to go out and experiment, to stop thinking and start doing, and that is why I love this project."
San Jose, California
Bob Iofis is an experienced professional in the Silicon Valley high-tech industry, currently working for a venture capital firm providing technical evaluation on potential investments in the areas of thin films semiconductors, energy generation, and energy storage thin film applications. Originally from Soviet Union (Latvia), Mr. Iofis moved to California in 1992. Besides his work with the VC firm, he is actively involved with the community of Russian-speaking professionals based in Silicon Valley, with members from all over the United States. As an experienced R&D high-tech commercialization professional, Mr. Iofis is at the forefront of the emerging VC industry in Russia, in other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and in Baltic countries. Mr. Iofis has over 20 years of high technology engineering experience in the semiconductor equipment industry and over 10 years of project development management experience in energy sector. His last years focus is on renewable energy projects assessment. He holds a MS degree in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnical University of Riga, Latvia. Mr. Iofis was awarded the Humanitarian Award by Friend Ships Unlimited, Louisiana-based charitable non-profit.
Krasic, Croatia
Josip Šimecki is co-founder of a related Croatian nonprofit organization, Qualitas Vita, whose goal is to improve the quality of life using current and futuristic technology. His primary education was in IT and electronics, but he continues to educate himself in the areas of biology, neurobiology and renewable energy. Through his nonprofit, Josip hopes to bring people to a common forum to explore projects and ideas like seasteading. The abundant coastline and more than 1,000 islands in Croatia give this endeavor a particularly high chance of success, measured by the number of participants in seasteading-related projects. Josip envisions seasteads initially specializing in human resource-type services, such as IT, software development, etc., with low cost of infrastructure and commercial end products. These settlements, he thinks, will eventually give rise to food and energy production, research hubs, more advanced infrastructure such as bridges or tunnels, and eventually full-fledged cities and nation-states. However, he believes there are considerable political, economical and technological questions which need to be addressed before such ventures take place, and hopes his work as an ambassador will unlock some solutions to these questions.
Adam Barger is the founder and CEO of WebStarts.com, with a passion to improve social conditions through free-thinking and technology. In addition to founding several businesses and other endeavors in the technology sector in his adult life, Adam helped start a community center in Honduras that provides education and cultural development to children. Adam is a husband and father to four boys ages 13-19; he is working to advance seasteading because he wants for himself, his children, and his future grandchildren to grow up in a free society. A lifelong questioner of the status quo, Adam envisions freedom as living in a peer-to-peer society, where people must win each other over to their ideals to affect change, and where they can freely agree to disagree.
Accra, Ghana – Facebook
Alfred Amanor lives in the city of Accra, in Ghana, where he works as a consultant and technician in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Currently, he is completing his last year towards a Professional Diploma in Network Engineering. Alfred seeks to spread the word of peace among his friends and colleagues, and sees the seasteading ambassadors program as a way to help promote freedom and equal rights among citizens. He is particularly eager to recruit young talents to contribute to our efforts to develop new nations and conduct experiments with governance for the benefit of all citizens. Having seen the way people live comfortably in the fluid environment of the Amansuri wetlands in Ghana, Alfred is eager to see what can be accomplished on a larger scale on the ocean. He believes that seasteading can eventually help reduce the cost of living, cure diseases, and of course, promote new innovation in governance.
Atlanta, Georgia – Facebook
Jeffrey Cole Copeland is an undergraduate student in Political Science and Public Policy at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the founder and President of Young Americans for Liberty at GSU and campus coordinator for Students for Liberty. After graduation, Jeffrey plans to attend Law School. Along with his scholastic obligations, he works with his family's chemical distribution company. Jeffrey originally became interested in the seasteading concept in 2012, soon after discovering the campaign for charter cities in Honduras.
"The Seasteading Institute is one of the few organizations that I believe will benefit mankind and not just individuals."
Originally from Atlantic Highlands, NJ, Sean Andrews earned a BS in Economics and Political Science from the US Air Force Academy. Upon graduation he served as a Financial Management & Acquisition Officer where he has held positions in financial services, comptrollership, and acquisition. In 2012, Sean earned an MS in Cost Analysis. He is currently deployed in Afghanistan, serving a one year tour. Sean has been involved in various entrepreneurial ventures to include human relations & media, and plans to execute several more projects in the near future. Sean believes seasteading is the future of urbanization, and that the coastal urbanization efforts in Singapore, Tokyo, Dubai, and Amsterdam signal the natural growth of cities – toward greater utilization of floating solutions to meet market requirements. This natural inclination should be embraced with broader vision and goals. Seasteading will provide diverse political organization and counter the tendency for institutional convergence. As an ambassador, Sean plans to host campus meetings exploring research areas, and spark enough interest to energize a campus organization designed to promote awareness, research, and excitement for seasteading.
"Institutional competition allows us to progress our ethics, enhance our creativity, and enrich our ingenuity."
London, England – Twitter – LinkedIn – Website
Chris is an organizational scholar, currently carrying out a PhD at Imperial College Business School in London, which focuses on organizational economics and business model design. His research looks specifically at how multinationals design themselves to operate efficiently in low-income and geographically distributed markets, such as India and China; environments characterized by weak institutional infrastructure. His research interests also relate to national innovation systems and the role of universities in fostering localized technology and economic clusters. Prior to starting his PhD, he worked as a journalist for the BBC World Service in Paris and the Independent newspaper in London. He has also spent time in advertising, in the digital arm of the WPP group. Chris also holds a degree in history and political science from King's College London.
Dana Point, California – LinkedIn
Ragnar seeks to further the goals of The Seasteading Institute by leveraging his career in real estate development. Following the financial crisis in 2008, Ragnar worked for several years acquiring and repositioning distressed residential properties. As the market evolved, he transitioned into finding and underwriting urban infill, mixed-use developments in core southern California markets. Currently, Ragnar insures commercial real estate against defects in title. Ragnar earned a Masters in Real Estate Development from Columbia University. His international experience includes work in Costa Rica and Panama, where he sees great potential for seasteading.
"I'm an Ambassador because I want seasteads to get built. Peace and prosperity are impossible without meaningfully controlling a piece of real estate. All terra firma is claimed, each piece chained by its own unique flavor of political system monopoly. Monopolies produce inferior products and high prices, be they cars or governments. So as mobile, autonomous real estate, seasteads will hack the land monopoly, creating peace and prosperity via terra aqua."
New York, New York – LinkedIn
Reece Johnson is currently pursuing his Master's degree at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs with a focus on international security policy. He recently returned from India, where he has been doing research and planning for the Tibetan government-in-exile since 2012. Prior to this, Reece worked at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, where he developed a strong sense of how international relations is conceived and practiced through the eyes of policymakers, scholars, and business leaders. He sees the positive potential for seasteading experimentation zones that test the boundaries of governance through improved technology, competition, and dynamic geography, but also recognizes that an international system of competing sovereign states poses larger structural constraints on the viability of seasteading. As an ambassador, Reece wants to help tackle these challenges by framing the Institute's project in terms that make it both attractive to policymakers and a legitimate object of inquiry for international relations scholars.
"How we contextualize seasteading in a system of sovereign states that is frequently defined by power politics, cheating, and pathological violence is eminently important for determining how these states will view, use, and sanction it as a practice."
Brazil & Canada – LinkedIn
Impact Entrepreneur | Founder | Civic Innovator
Nima is cofounder of Impactonomy Innovation Labs, abbreviated "iiLabs+", the curator behind innovation ecosystems, startups & social enterprises like #CheerForPeace, incubated at the IBQP (Brazilian Institute for Quality & Productivity) Center for Innovation, where he also serves as Entrepreneur in Residence. He's an avid volunteer & evangelist for new frontiers of innovation by serving as founding civic innovator at OpenBrazil.org & lead ambassador at The Seasteading Institute. As a serial entrepreneur, he's helped launch multiple companies in several markets including cleantech, energy, travel, CSR, ecommerce & ICT. Nima also helps develop innovation ecosystems as member of the board of directors at the world's 1st co-operative for inventors, an NGO that develops community energy enterprises, as well as the education firm that created the Great Canadian Inventions Show. Nima has held management roles in the social enterprise, IT, automotive, financial, communications, consulting & real estate sectors. He is helping unite the Brazilian & Canadian startups ecosystems so that, through collaboration & cross-migration (both physical & digital knowledge transfer), exponential value-add can be created for both innovation environments & perhaps even for the world at large! He is currently helping the Founder Institute, the world's largest "idea stage" startup accelerator, strategically establish operations in Brazil by launching a regional chapter in Curitiba, Brazil's "digital & smart city". Nima dreams of a future that's not too far away and that is dramatically better for everyone than that which is being predicted by the masses. This future is powered by the next frontiers of innovation: collaboration, globalization (hyper-migration) & singularity – which make a pragmatic case for the notions of hyper-innovation (with infinite number of monopolies), seasteading & aquapreneurship very rational & reasonable transitions towards the multiplanetary civilization of our race and beyond!
San Francisco, California – LinkedIn – Facebook – Website – Twitter – Google+
Zoltan Istvan, an American-Hungarian best-selling author, began a solo, multi-year sailing journey around the world at the age of 21. His main cargo was 500 handpicked books, mostly classics. Zoltan has explored over 100 countries—many as a journalist for the National Geographic Channel—writing, filming, and appearing in dozens of television stories, articles, and webcasts. His work has also been featured by The New York Times Syndicate, Outside, San Francisco Chronicle, BBC Radio, and many others. In addition to his award-winning coverage of the war in Kashmir, he gained worldwide attention for pioneering and popularizing the extreme sport of volcano boarding. Zoltan later became a director for the international conservation group WildAid, leading armed patrol units to stop the billion-dollar illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia. Back in America, he started various successful businesses, from real estate development to filmmaking to viticulture, joining them under ZI Ventures. He is a philosophy and religious studies graduate of Columbia University and resides in San Francisco with his daughter and physician wife. Zoltan recently published The Transhumanist Wager, a fictional thriller describing apatheist Jethro Knights and his unwavering quest for immortality via science and technology. The novel was recently a #1 bestseller in Philosophy and Sci-Fi Visionary on Amazon.
Thorold, Ontario, Canada – LinkedIn – Facebook – Google+
Franco Cortese is a futurist, author, and editor, who has researched and written widely on the subjects of transhumanism, overpopulation, and the solutions to rapid depletion of resources and living space. Among other positions, Franco holds the title of Affiliate Scholar at the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, Affiliate Researcher at the ELPIs Foundation for Indefinite Lifespans, Director of the Canadian Longevity Alliance, and Executive Director of the Center for Transhumanity. He has written for H+ Magazine, the Journal of Geoethical Nanotechnology, India Future Society, Serious Wonder, Immortal Life and The Rational Argumentator, and edited a compendium of 150+ essays from more than 40 authors, titled, "Longevitize!: Essays on the Science, Philosophy & Politics of Longevity." As an ambassador, Franco seeks to write about the use of seasteading to minimize the problematic demographic consequences of life-extension therapies.
"I believe that Seasteading, and the construction of Very-Large-Floating-Structures (VLFS) in general, constitutes one of the most promising solution-paradigms for freeing up more living-space and resources. 75% of the earth's surface area is water; thus seasteading has the potential of increasing available living-space and resource-space by an astounding 300%."
Paris, France – LinkedIn
Damien Serre is a leading researcher in urban flood resilience and risk management in Europe. He recently founded his own company, RESCUESolutions SAS (Resilience Engineering, Science of Complexity, Urban Environment), which aims to design methodologies and tools capable of assessing different type of risks and producing more resilient cities. His research asks how cities can bring the concepts of resilience and complexity to bear on the management of risks and infrastructure, and seeks to translate the input of risk managers, architects, urban planners, and city populations into an efficient strategy for capacity building. He has led several large studies for the European Union, is coordinator of "Paris résiliente," and was scientific director of RESILIS, a research project to improve urban resilience.
"I strongly believe in floating cities as a means to design more resilient cities or new territories unexplored at this time. The Seasteading Institute is very innovative in this domain, and given my background and business I can't stay outside this original initiative."
Washington D.C. – Facebook – LinkedIn
Anthony Smith is an undergraduate studying International Studies at American University in Washington, DC. He has a passion for international relations, particularly US relations with the developing world, and is an experienced and passionate orator who enjoys leading and taking risks. Anthony sees a desperate need for greater experimentation in government because of the continuing trend of globalization and decline in political innovation. He believes our current governmental systems and political ideologies are based upon 20th century concepts that do not account for revolutionary new technologies such as the internet and global telecommunications.
"Seasteading will be an important part of the future geopolitical landscape, and I want to be at the forefront of that development."
Moscow, Russia – LinkedIn – Facebook
Egor Ryjikov is originally from Minsk, Belarus, and has lived in Moscow, Russia for the last 17 years. He is a founder and a managing partner at Weber CoMechanics, a group of companies based in Russia involved in production, integration, supply, service and engineering of robotics and other industrial production equipment. He is also involved in several startup ventures relating to publishing, as well as R&D and production of scientific and medical equipment. After university, Egor lived for 2 years in Auroville, India, where he did volunteer work in the city – one of the world's largest and oldest intentional international communities. He is interested in robotics, management, aquaponics, additive manufacturing, engineering, business, diplomacy and architecture.
"I came to the idea of seasteading during a trip to Shanghai in 2005. Since then I keep coming back to thinking about this concept and believe that it could be the biggest thing since invention of a gun powder."
Oakland, California – LinkedIn – Facebook
Lili Smith graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture from U.C. Berkeley in 2012, and is currently collaborating with other visionaries and designers while carefully deciding where to pursue a Master's in Architecture. Her decision to enter into the design field was a direct result of her intuitions and visions from an early age relating to the harsh realities of the world's political and environmental situations. She is thus taking her next steps with a humanitarian focus in mind, and seeks to spend her energy and talents with like-minded thinkers, working on projects that are solving major quality of life issues that we will all face, including rising waters, hunger, water scarcity and government breakdowns across the globe. Lili's experience also includes working in closet and kitchen design specification and sales, commercial and residential real estate finance, design assistance for Architects, set design and contract design work in Revit.
"I believe the key is to think far enough in advance to properly transition large groups of people into new ways of living, by developing adaptable, alternative methods of long-term shelter, sustainable food growth, and efficient water recycling."
Winter Park, Florida – Facebook
Peter Parsley is an international affairs student at Rollins College and guerrilla filmmaker. He comes from a family of entrepreneurs and small business owners, and has been vigorously studying free market economics, political philosophy, and alternative psychology since 2008. The art of influence and persuasion have played a major role in his life, making him eager to use his skills for the promotion of The Seasteading Institute, through Youtube videos and organization of events with local and on-campus groups.
"My goal as an ambassador is to facilitate the message of The Seasteading Institute by whatever means possible."
Bjoern Christian Wolf is a recent graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Sciences, currently living in Germany. While at LSE, he founded TEDxLSE and organized a start-up competition for students (European Student Startups). His political beliefs focus on freedom, civil liberties and voluntary market-based exchange. He was elected President of the LSE Hayek Society and a frequent visitor at the Adam Smith Institute and the Institute of Economic Affairs. Bjoern believes seasteading will lead to enormous waves of innovation – especially in areas that have been hindered by states so far, such as flexible payment methods – and will ultimately further human progress.
"Seasteading combines the dynamics of the start-up world with political possibilities classical liberals could only dream of. Their existence will set free productive potential and force established governments to become more competitive."
Białystok, Poland – Facebook – LinkedIn
Robert Radek is a graduate of the University of Białystok, where he received his masters degree in Polish and international real estate law in 2011. Since then, he has worked as a manager in a jewelry workshop and has organized and founded The Netsprig Foundation, which is focused on researching new internet technologies like crowdsourcing, local and crypto-currencies, social media and e-sports. Robert is passionate about innovation, technology, history and peaceful cooperation.
"Seasteads will be an example to the whole world of a peaceful way people can co-exist and work together."
Mexico City, Mexico – Facebook – Twitter – LinkedIn
Eduardo Morelos is currently Manager of the Wayra Academy in Mexico City, a global startup accelerator and seed fund looking to promote entrepreneurship in Europe and Latin America. After graduating from the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, France, where he earned a Master's degree in Bioscience Engineering, he joined an R&D medical device company based in Mexico City. He has gained solid experience in assessing new business opportunities, operations management, and intellectual property matters, and so far has contributed to create and advance a portfolio of +25 technology startups. As an ambassador, he hopes to create a long-term commitment to The Seasteading Institute by participating and adding value through special assignments in Mexico and Latin America.
Brooklyn, New York – Facebook
William is a writer, award-winning filmmaker, multi-media artist and voluntarist advocate. William is currently working on an ambitious agorist initiative, Pressing the Button:: a website that serves as a directory of all services typically provided by the government – police, defense, education, social security, etc. – with commentary that demonstrates how these services already are or can be provided more cheaply and efficiently by peaceful individuals, businesses, and communities. The ultimate goal of the project is to encourage readers to engage with peaceful alternatives to government services, thereby eroding the state's jurisdiction over every aspect of our lives.
William's current artistic passion is the "accompanied monologue" – spoken word blended with music. In 2012, he wrote, performed, produced and edited a 90-minute album of all-original accompanied monologues. He now co-produces a bi-weekly podcast of accompanied monologues, with new writers and musicians every episode.
William graduated Cum Laude from the Macaulay Honors College.
"I am an ambassador for the Seasteading Institute because I'm committed to the existence of a truly free, peaceful and voluntary society in my lifetime."
Huntsville, Texas – Twitter
Tyree Shelton is a 19-year-old college student and aspiring filmmaker with ambitions to advance seasteading, and in doing so, make a statement about what he believes – that humanity needs a platform for new experiments, experiences and opportunities. After first hearing about the idea, he felt compelled to use his voice to persuade people around him of the benefits of seasteading.
"Bringing awareness to a subject that can be misunderstood is exciting and amusing. I love convincing people that the "impossible" can be possible, and the things that don't seem so ordinary are actually compelling and intriguing in the same way."
San Ġiljan, Malta – Twitter – Website – Facebook – LinkedIn
Phil Rocquemore is a self-optimizing poker researcher who uses online poker games as a testing ground for his research into poker strategy and decision-making. Phil blogs, lectures, writes articles and details his adventures hacking his cognition and habits at cardquant.com. He holds degrees in Physics from the University of Oxford and the University of Pennsylvania, which he attended on a Thouron scholarship, and has represented the English national bridge team. He never turns down an invitation to dance.
"I am a Seasteading ambassador because I believe that building new, floating, autonomous city-states presents mankind's best opportunity to promote the rights of the most valuable and most vulnerable minority: the individual. One of the key challenges with new, paradigm-shifting projects is articulating their value to a group that doesn't yet understand the concepts involved, or is even openly hostile. My skill-set makes me ideal for pitching seasteading to others, since I will always remain composed in dialogue, even when the stakes are high."
Ibadan, Nigeria
Falade "Toni" Oluwatoniloba holds a degree in Pure Chemistry from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and an MBA from the Metropolitan School of Business Management in Whales. He has a passion for public speaking, and getting young people to understand the importance of natural preservation. Toni sees potential for seasteading bioremediation technology and governmental experiments in or near his home country Nigeria, where the sprawling Niger Delta has become greatly polluted.
"It is my delight to be part of a legacy for the next generation – to usher the next generation into something more beautiful and better than ours. Ultimately it is about touching lives, reaching out to people, and making the world a better place than I met it."
Berkeley, CA – Twitter – Website – Facebook – LinkedIn
Charlie received his bachelor's degree in economics from UC Berkeley in 2011, and worked for The Seasteading Institute from 2011 to 2014. He discovered seasteading while facilitating a seminar on Milton Friedman through the DeCal program (Democratic Education at Cal), and quickly began to see government as an industry sorely lacking competition, imagination, and experimentation. This perspective allowed Charlie to put aside his disagreements with peers on controversial political issues, and work toward solutions that everybody wants but nobody gets — prioritizing seasteading technology as the lever for this change.
"I can imagine no greater calling than the enabling of dynamic, technologically-advanced, and legally autonomous floating cities. I believe seasteading offers the single best opportunity to achieve freedom in my lifetime."
Naples, FL – Website – Facebook – LinkedIn
"I am a futurist and I believe in disruption in regards to social, entrepreneurship, resources, media, technology, currency and innovation, Since the existence of man, there has always been a political and social order that has left man to be controlled by its policies/bureaucracies and its laws. The Seasteading Institute is one of those modern movements to empower political and social change, promote global and innovative ideas, for those who yearn to be truly free from the shackles of laws that hinder us."
Moorpark, CA – Website
Jeff Trirogoff is President of Elements of Earth and Energy (EEE, Inc). Jeff graduated UCLA in 1993, in Business Economics and was inspired by Milton Friedman in his micro- and macro-economics classes. He works as a consultant in energy efficiency, water conservation and alternative energy, specializing in Photovoltaics and Advanced Energy Storage. He is certified by the Building Performance Institute as a Building Analyst and Envelope Professional. He is fluent in solar technology and certified as a Photovoltaic Installation Professional with NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners). He is also certified with SunPower University in solar design and installation. Since 2010, he has been trouble shooting residential and commercial photovoltaic and energy management systems. He continues to volunteer his time as a team leader for Grid Alternatives, a non-profit solar company, installing solar systems on low income family homes in Los Angeles and Ventura County. He is certified as a Residential and Light Commercial Air Balancing and Distribution Technician, and as a Carbon Monoxide and Combustion Analyst from the National Comfort Institute. Jeff consults and mentors contractors in energy efficient residential building construction, diagnostic testing, and performance evaluation for, and on behalf of, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company and the Energy Upgrade California program. He has continually inspired builders and contractors to go beyond the code in the Energy Efficiency Standards for each and every house they build or upgrade and provide the best, most up-to-date and energy efficient houses possible.
He has an integrated systems approach, believing that, "the house and all of its components work as a system – a symbiotic relationship, with all aspects working together based on proper design and installation." Since 2013, Jeff has been involved in designing and building residential and commercial Hydroponic and Aquaponic systems/gardens/farms to grow fresh, healthy, aromatic, delicious local fruits, vegetables and nuts full of vitamins, minerals and proteins, both indoors and outdoors.
Jeff lives with his beautiful wife and three girls in Moorpark, CA.
Milwaukee, WI – Website 1 – Website 2 – Twitter – Facebook – LinkedIn
Todd is the President of Cloud Forge Consulting, a small business consulting firm that specializes in tech startups and small businesses striving to change the world in new and innovative ways. As a lifelong entrepreneur, he has been involved in the building process of several businesses and startup companies. He has spent the last decade in sales and marketing in various industries but now focuses on ways to help the world grow. He believes in living a responsible, self sufficient and sustainable lifestyle and is drawn to the Seasteading Institute because their ideas of a new international community where individual freedom is paramount falls in line with his overall ideals and goals. Todd is excited to help the Seasteading Institute grow into a common household name. He strives to help create a long term strategic plan to build a sustainable community anywhere in the world. Working with small businesses such as Innovative Natural Solutions, he wants to bridge the gap between sustainable agriculture on land and on the sea. Together we can create something special.
Brazil – Website 1 – Website 2 – Twitter – Facebook
Bruna is a biologist and Founder/First President of NGO ReCivitas, a think tank that develops innovative social technologies, widely published academic journals, books, conference materials and university extension courses. At NGO ReCivitas, she handles joint coordination and project implementation. Since 2008, she has worked on the development of policies regarding Basic Income Guarantee, referenced in international non-governmental social security in Quatinga Velho. Bruna is currently working on the development of the social network of Direct Democracy: Governe-se.
Brazil – Website 1 – Website 2 – Twitter – Facebook
Marcus is Founder and current President of the NGO ReCivitas, a think tank that develops innovative social technologies, widely published academic journals, books, conference materials and university extension courses and extension publications (developed through classes under his professorship). Since 2008, he has worked on the development of policies regarding Basic Income Guarantee, referenced in international non-governmental social security in Quatinga Velho. Marcus is the creator of the social network of Direct Democracy: Governe-se, and the intellectual property RobinRight license.
Martinsville, Indiana – Twitter – Facebook – LinkedIn
Thomas Edward Wallace is Founder and Director of the non-profit Goose Creek Conservancy and has been involved in environmental engineering for over 30 years. He is an experienced Environmental Specialist with a hands-on background in Title V air permit requirements and preparation, documentation, compliance, and on-going operational concerns in manufacturing and production operations. His current and past affiliations include MENSA, Scientech – Indianapolis, International Hazardous Materials Association, Air and Waste Management Association, Environmental Professionals Association, and California Aerospace & Environmental Association.
"Each Ambassador comes from a different world; they have different contacts, thoughts and perspectives. Each of us may hold our own beliefs about what we feel is best for the future and for mankind, but without collaboration, they are nothing more than single perspectives on a dream. Through the Ambassador program, our perspectives can be validated and dreams can be manifested."
Atlanta, Georgia – LinkedIn
Will Perkins has been an advocate of environmentally responsible growth, in part by developing new theories and challenging traditional approaches to increasing global energy needs and mitigating the resulting human environmental impacts. Will combines his passion for futurology with an environmental perspective, focused on identifying creative solutions and laying the foundation for new approaches to some of our most challenging issues we face today. Will currently works as Director of Client Services for a cloud-based technology company which provides custom marketing solutions to increase engagement and connectivity with businesses and their customers in the digital space.
"I see seasteading as a catalyst for breakthroughs in many sectors, including medical, bio-tech, green energy and financial. My goal as an Ambassador is to not only drive awareness but share the passion and opportunity to bring together some of the most creative and innovative minds of our generation to solve some of our most pressing global issues."
New York City, New York – LinkedIn
Solomon Bashi is currently an associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York City where he has been working since graduating from Northwestern University School of Law in 2009. Solomon has spent much of his adult life living abroad and, as such, has experienced many different forms of government. Before starting at his present job, Solomon worked at the Office of the Co-Prosecutor at the International Tribunal in the Courts of Cambodia. Solomon is also a Captain In the United States Army Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2013. Mr. Bashi's publications include The CFTC Further Clarifies End-User Exception to the Mandatory Clearing Requirement for Swaps and Prosecuting Starvation in the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (Wisconsin International Law Journal, Spring 2011).
Kiev, Ukraine – LinkedIn – Facebook – Ineeco Project – Stingyfund Project
Daria Sinichenko has Masters Degree in Law, and graduated from the Jonkoping International Business School in Sweden with a Masters Degree in Business Administration. Her Masters Thesis explored ways to achieve sustainability within communities through market research on sustainable service carsharing. She is currently a Business Development Manager, working in Kiev for a legal consulting company, FRIDRICH INVEST s. r. o., and frequently travels internationally for business. She also works with StingyFund, an Online Charity Foundation that enables individuals to contribute to themselves and society by means of active participation in educational, environmental activities and events organized by the charity's members. With her colleague, she entered StingyFund in the Schneider Electric contest in 2012 and won the semi-final of 'Go Green in the City' challenge.
"I have traveled throughout Asian and Latin American countries in recent years and due to work experience and have observed different political systems and social iniquities. This has motivated me to take steps towards trying to change the existing order in social and political systems. The Seasteading Institute will inspire a new social community model, which in turn will also have a tremendous impact on countries with imperfect government and political systems. My goal as an Ambassador is to promote the main project idea, to get involved more people who share the floating city vision and values as participators, volunteers, ideologists, investors and partners."
Boston, Massachusetts – Twitter – Facebook – LinkedIn
From Vancouver, it was a natural thing for Katie Chowne to be drawn to all things ocean. SCUBA and kayak certified, for a year even lived on a boat. She first got involved in politics at the age of 18, running for the BC Marijuana Party. This led her to the Libertarian Party and she took on the role of Leader of the federal party from 2011-2014.
"I appreciate all aspects of what seasteading offers; a chance to start from the ground up, the ability to test some new theories about governance, and create an environment that allows for the use and innovation of new technologies, like algae production for bio fuels and food, water-based agriculture, and all the new technology that will be created to run a seasteading. My goal as an Ambassador is to promote all of these aspects to those around me. Many people are unaware of the freedom, visceral happiness that can be found on water, and I hope to relate this sense of lifestyle every chance I get."
Green Bay, Wisconsin – Twitter – Facebook
Brenda Staudenmaier actively sculpts the world into a place she would feel satisfied leaving behind for future generations. She is a mother of two children and a current Wisconsin college student majoring in Environmental Engineering, focused on drinking and waste water. She has been gardening using organic methods and ran a Brooklyn, New York, public school garden for a few years. She loves to teach children about food, where it comes from, and its effect on the body. In the past, she has worked as a photographer for Vice Magazine, online blogs, and international magazines. Her interests include volunteering, urban planning, food sustainability, permaculture, photography, video making, health, alternative energies, consciousness, vortex based mathematics, and networking. She regularly attends conferences relating to health, extraordinary technologies, and breakthrough energies. She is also interested in building a summertime floating restaurant and bar to serve local products in the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Michigan.
London, England
Srooley Harp is currently completing a-levels in order to study medicine. He is interested in science, medicine and technology. He first became enthusiastic about seasteading after reading "Breakout: Pioneers of the Future, Prison Guards of the Past, and the Epic Battle That Will Decide America's Fate" by Newt Gingrich. Srooley thinks seasteading is for the pioneers of the future, and that outdated laws are preventing innovation and breakthrough, especially in the medical field.
"My goal as an Ambassador is to raise the awareness of The Seasteading Institute in the scientific community, and about what possibilities it brings to the future of healthcare. I believe seasteading can help bring about great scientific change through its lack of bureaucracy which is currently stunting scientific progress."
Columbia, South Carolina – Facebook
Robert Viglione is a Finance PhD student at the University of South Carolina with research interests in crypto finance, peer-to-peer and AI-driven financial technologies, emerging and frontier markets, and asset pricing. He is a former physicist and mercenary mathematician, who has traveled extensively, lived abroad, and sees so much more in human interactions than rigid forcing relationships.
"We're at a point in human history where it's feasible to have voluntary rules-based social systems enabled by new technologies, like decentralized proof-of-work crypto platforms. Instances of arbitrary force running counter to popular sentiment, like governments around the world trying to ban Uber, indicate that we're at a peculiar moment in history where technologies, and how we interact with them, have outpaced social governance methods developed centuries ago. I want to be a part of leading the experimentation process to show the world that violence is not the only way to govern. Seasteading is the natural extension of the exploratory and creative processes to social organization, and I am passionate about spreading the word and facilitating the inevitable."
Brazil – Facebook
Stefano attends Law School in the state he was born in, Rio de Janeiro. He is a member of the Executive Council of Students For Liberty in Brazil, Estudantes Pela Liberdade, where he helps to create a society where universities focus on the creation of knowledge and teaching, allowing students to be free and develop their character, skills and worldview. He is also helping to grow the Libertarian Party in his country. Originally drawn to The Seasteading Institute by reading the works made by the Russian philosopher Ayn Rand, he has the goal of informing the public of The Seasteading Institute's projects, vision and values around his country, and the world.
Bakersfield, California – Twitter – Website
Joe received his B.A. in Biological Sciences from California State University, Fresno and his Ph. D. in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine with an emphasis in Developmental and Cell Biology. He is a professor and Faculty Chair for the Bakersfield College Biology Department. Teaching awards include the Sam McCall Teacher of the Year and recipient of the Norm Levin Faculty Research Grant. His teaching philosophy is to help students attain their academic, professional and personal goals.
"The unifying theme in Biology is evolution through natural selection. Genetic variation and competition provides species the opportunity to evolve with a changing environment. The mission of the Seasteading Institute mirrors the concept of natural selection; provide an environment for various ideas, allow competition and better innovations will succeed. Using science to promote innovation and enable societal decisions based on evidence will allow for technological advancement, economic prosperity and political harmony."
Wollongong, Australia – LinkedIn
Ashley has had a lifelong interest in sustainability and for the environment environment, and after gaining a Bachelor of Science in Resource and Environmental Management, spent several years working in in carbon trading, renewable energy development, and has seen first hand how market concepts can help deliver environmental benefits.
Ashley's passion for science and technology inspires his optimistic pragmatism, and he believes that depsite the environmental challenges facing our earth, through bold experiments like seasteading, we can transform the way we live on the Earth for the benefit of all generations to come.
Ashley works as a project manager at the University of Technology, Sydney, where he also attends the business school as a student completing a Masters of Business Administration.
"I think that The Seasteading Institute is a bold experiment that the universities' talented student base will be able to get excited about, and I am excited about raising awareness of seasteading within the academic community, with those who have so much to offer in terms of thought-leadership and can help us realize viable seasteading technology."
New York City, New York – LinkedIn – Rizm
Austin got his Bachelors from Harvard where he was on the pre-med track. After seeing a disconnect between patient and doctor leading to a lack of focus on preventative medicine, he moved to New York to pursue a career in finance and operations. He has spent much of his life traveling and living in other countries and states; he hiked for three months in New Zealand, did community service in Mexico, went on safaris in Zambia, surfed and hang-glided in Brazil, and toured medical device factories in Japan and Portugal. He has always appreciated the variances in culture and the approach that different peoples have, and thinks that the economic and organizational benefits of seasteading is the best way to project and protect this diversity of ideas into the future. He currently runs operations at a financial technology company, Rizm, which has developed a revolutionary platform that gives everyday users a power that, historically, has only been possible at large firms. Rizm's cloud based software is an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that allows users to design, backtest, paper trade and execute live trading algorithms in either equity or currency markets.
B.C., Canada – LinkedIn – Website
John McCone is a Plasma Physicist originally from Ireland, currently located in Burnaby, Canada. In addition to performing work on spectral analysis and magnetic analysis of waves in fusion plasmas, John has been a senator in a small political party. He has organised tours and took part in debates for the Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy, as well as recommended the appointment of the current president of the U.K. division. He is a former member of the E3 Foundation, a prestigious Cambridge based think-tank, working on formulating and driving government policy relating to energy, the environment and the economy, and successfully published a paper making the case for fusion energy as a possible answer to providing limitless carbon-free energy for all humanity. When John first joined Europe United, he thought that by becoming a member of a political party that aimed to govern over a wide area, he would be able to help a larger number of people. However, after seeing that other members of the party had different views of how Europe should be governed, he decided maybe bigger wasn't better, and that maybe smaller was better for governance. As a result of coming to this decision, John now wishes to apply his expertise to promoting the cause of seasteading.
Hyderabad, India – LinkedIn – Facebook – Twitter
Venkatesh has been an advocate for liberty and limited government for over the past four years. He is CEO of India's Future foundation, a free market educational organisation based in Hyderabad,India. He graduated from from JNAFAU, Hyderabad, India with a degree in Digital Technology and served as Founder and President for Students For Liberty – South India after his charter team training in June 2013. Venkatesh is an alumnus of Centre for Civil Society Academy, Atlas Network Thinktank101 International Academy of Leadership (IAF), an Academic division of Friedrich Naumann Foundation for freedom, and Gummers Bach, Germany. He served as Co-founder of Youth For Better, an India youth organization with a strong emphasis on a corruption free India. He also worked as an outreach and training assistant for Foundation for Democratic Reforms, and for the India pro-liberty political party 'Lok Satta Party' as a part of the state student leaders and state youth leaders. He is also working as the 2014-15 Coordinator for an online magazine called "Young Journalists and Writers." He was a finalist of "International youth icon awards-2014" by Kafka Development Organization.
"I found out about The Seasteading Institute through my work with Students For Liberty and International Society for Individual Rights (ISIL.org) after attending an international conference in China. Seasteading is a way to achieve liberty, advancement of societies and innovation in technologies through experimentation with governance, and my goal as an Ambassador is to share this message internationally."
Thousand Oaks, California
Davis graduated from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor's degree in communication studies, and from Los Angeles City College with dual Associate's degrees in Chinese and Social and Behavioral Sciences. He is currently working on postgraduate research in Communication Studies and Rhetoric. As a lifelong learner, one of his passions is education, and he devotes a great deal of his time developing educational curriculums for several disciplines. Aside from school, Davis does extensive genealogical and historical research, and is seeking to become a board certified genealogist and archivist. As humanitarian at heart, he plans to dedicate his life to improving the human condition every opportunity he gets. His two favorite activities are traveling and exercising.
"I have a strong love for technology, public policy, social change, and the future. This is why I want to support and advocate for the Seasteading Institute – to help create and spread this collective vision to the other millions of people worldwide that will one day benefit from everything it will come to offer. I believe that seasteading is a logical and inevitable form of progression that is paramount to our development, and The Seasteading Institute provides a tangible and achievable method of conquering this goal, driven by the support of a passionate community."
Carmichael, California – LinkedIn – Facebook
Ben Hartselle works to create a better world every day he is alive (except sick days). An artist, salesman, promoter, producer, sci-fi geek and futurist, Ben was introduced to the idea of Seasteading in 1996 via Neal Stephenson's novel "Snow Crash." After graduating from the University of California in Santa Barbara, he entered the print industry where he managed a series of commercial print operations where he taught himself network administration and graphic design. During this time, he promoted bands and worked as a musician and music teacher. He then managed a vintage guitar store for several years. After starting a family, he became a sales manager for a solar installer in California. In 2014, he learned more about the Seasteading Institute and became inspired to get involved. Obsessed with emerging technologies and their ability to radically transform the world, he sees seasteading as a path to peace, prosperity and human liberty. He currently splits his time between homeschooling two small children, solar sales, Bitcoin activism and web development. He hopes to work and live on the ocean.
San Jose, California – Facebook
Vijay is a bio-technologist by education and software engineer by profession. Originally from India, Vijay received his Bachelors in Biotechnology and a Masters in Regulatory Affairs for Drugs, Biologics and Medical Devices, and currently works as a freelance database architect. He first heard about The Seasteading Institute through Blue Seed, and started following news updates and studying the website until he applied for our Ambassador program. Due to Vijay's educational background, he is especially motivated to get involved in the seasteading movement; he studied the FDA's multiple departments and agrees that regulatory hurdles can block progress in medicine and other areas of research, and wants to support seasteading as an answer to this problem.
"I am a big fan of Independence. The practical definition of Independence can be very broad. It can be as simple as walking on your own legs, or it can be as complex as attaining financial independence and retire for the rest of your life.
When I came to know about the concept of seasteading, I found it to offer a whole new dimension of Independence. I believe that it also provides solutions to many political, economic and legal bottlenecks that our nations are currently facing, through experimentation and testing in less restricted environments.
There is no end to the revolutionary possibilities that independent seasteading communities can offer. They can offer a cancer patient access to a drug in clinical trials that has yet to be approved by the FDA, and a workplace for skilled people that cuts across nationalities and visa issues. I believe that sky is the limit as far as these possibilities are concerned.
Future generations on this planet will be classifying their history books as 'Before seasteading (or) after seasteading' and I would like to be involved with The Seasteading institute to become a part of an organization that is passionate about changing the world for the future generations."
St. Petersburg, Russia – Twitter – Website
Anatoly is a Bitcoin/Forex trader and cryptocurrency enthusiast. He studied Economics in the "Upper Volga" Institute in Tver, Russia, and is a big fan of Austrian school of Economics. He is a self-educated web developer and previously had a SEO and web development business. One day, Anatoly noticed that the price forecasting methods commonly used in currency trading can be used for real world events forecasting. Since then, Anatoly has examined events in the history of human civilization and attempted to analyze and forecast events for the next years/decades/centuries. He sees big changes in the world in the near future, and predicts that seasteading will be the origin of a brand new human civilization which will rise during this century. His goal as an Ambassador for The Seasteading Institute is to promote the concept of seasteading to people and help make the Floating City project successful.
"Most startup entrepreneurs are obsessed with the idea to change the world. I believe it's not enough. Now is the time to create brand new world for better living."
Pacifica, California – Facebook – Website
Ari Eisenstat is the CEO and Founder of DRÆM VENTURES, an impact venture capital fund that invests in the next generation of socially, environmentally, and technologically conscious businesses. He is a serial social entrepreneur who has led innovation in hedge funds, think tanks, nonprofits, sustainable agriculture, art technology, creative incubators, educational organizations, and venture capital. He currently leads the Impact Venture Capital Workshop at Stanford University and frequently speaks at UC Berkeley to give students a first hand experience of being an impact investor. He also founded and works from the BHuman Social Innovation Center in Palo Alto. Ari is an international speaker on Impact Investing and Social Entrepreneurship giving talks at universities, businesses, nonprofits, and conferences. He is dedicated to building a seasteading community in the San Francisco Bay area and beyond.
"Through my Ambassadorship with The Seasteading Institute, I hope to assist in the Seasteading movement solving humanities grand challenges, while developing a thriving culture around new forms of governance, business, technology, and creativity."