Shiv Goel is a youth activist with a focus on ocean conservation and sustainable fashion. Shiv has been a member of Heirs To Our Ocean since 2021. He most recently served as a support staff member for the Policy Committee for the 3rd Cohort of the U.S. Youth Advisory Council for the UN Ocean Decade (U.S. YAC UNOD).
Shiv began his ocean conservation journey when he joined the U.S. YAC UNOD as the Co-Chair of the 2nd Cohort. In this role, Shiv represented the U.S. YAC UNOD at a variety of events including a workshop at the NMEA 2022 Conference, an Ocean Decade panel at the American Geophysical Union’s 2022 meeting, and more. In prior roles, he has additionally spoken extensively about the importance of sustainability and justice in production.
Shiv is now a student at Cornell University where he is involved with various social impact initiatives on campus. In his free time, Shiv enjoys hiking through local gorges, going white water rafting, and enjoying nature whenever possible.
Amber Ortiz is a member of Heirs to Our Ocean who joined in 2020 during the first Cohort of the US Youth Advisory Council for the UN Ocean Decade. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she developed a passion for the environment from a young age although she didn’t always see the best parts of it outside of her window.
In high school, she worked on various environmental projects, from cleaning up local beaches to helping plan more resilient coastal communities in South Queens. More recently, she began advocating for stronger environmental protections at U.S. Capitol Hill with other members of H2OO.
She is currently completing her degree in Marine Biology at the University of Delaware, finding her passion in research, and just completed a term on the Support Team for the U.S. Youth Advisory Council for the UN Ocean Decade.
Outside of her work with Heirs to Our Ocean, Amber enjoys kayaking, gardening, biking, and reading on the beach. She also continues to advocate for the environment in her personal life, from engaging in environmentally focused student-run organizations on campus to learning more about environmental racism affecting her community.
Raina, in Hamburg, Germany, believes that environmental protection means protecting each other.
She is an advocate for climate justice because she understands that the climate crisis is entwined with the world’s social issues. By acknowledging these intersections and the colonial roots of the climate crisis, Raina wants to contribute to equitable solutions and the protection of our shared Mother Earth.
As a member of H2OO, Raina has learned from and is inspired by fellow youth leaders, shaping her into the young activist she is today. Raina was supported as a Petitioner in the Children vs Climate Crisis case which was before the UN Committee for the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Raina recently completed a 2-month live-in internship at H2OO headquarters, and she engaged in a remote 6-month internship supporting the H2OO-nominated member of the Children’s Advisory Team for Child Rights Connect.
All throughout, the youth-centered, inclusive and holistic approach of H2OO has provided Raina with feelings of empowerment and truly made her experience at H2OO life changing.
Catarina, in Brazil, is a 15-year-old competitive surfer and a social-environmental and climate activist.
Since a little girl, Catarina played in forests, mangroves and the ocean learning from her parents how important the environment is and how we should take care of the life in it. Catarina believes that we can work together to solve the crises we are living in, including the oil spills on the waves she surfs and the plastic pollution across her state.
Catarina’s experiences through Heirs To Our Ocean, including being a Petitioner in Children vs. Climate Crisis, changed her life. Learning more deeply about empathetic leadership, being empowered as a youth with her voice heard internationally, and working with youth around the world inspired her even more.
Connecting with youth from different cultures and backgrounds, who also have an interest in solving the crises we face, complemented Catarina’s life as a change-maker. She hopes that she has inspired others as well.
Litokne, from the Marshall Islands, a low-lying island nation in the middle of the Pacific, committed himself as a youth activist with H2OO in 2019.
Litokne was one of the 16 youth Petitioners in Children vs Climate Crisis wherein he shared his story about how the climate crisis has impacted the very survival of his island home. With only 7 feet above sea level, Marshall Islands lies on the very frontline of the climate crisis, and Litokne’s experiences have urged him to make sure his voice is heard globally.
Litokne believes the younger generation deserves a sustainable planet and should not be forced to leave their home and culture. Litokne’s island home is his identity, and he feels that no corporate actions nor government policies should take that away from him. Litokne takes action with H2OO because he believes that the next generation deserves a healthy and happy future too.
Shay spent her childhood surrounded by nature in a farming community on the California coast. There, she developed a passion for food justice and connecting with the environment around her.
Her community struggled with the impacts of climate change and contaminated water. After joining Heirs To Our Ocean, Shay was empowered with the tools to turn her personal experiences with human impacts of environmental degradation and her love of the natural world into advocacy.
Now a student at U.C Davis, Shay is studying wildlife sciences and is planning to pursue research and conservation as a career path. Shay’s ongoing journey with H2OO is a crucial part of her life path today and being a part of a global family of Heirs is a constant source of support, inspiration, and passion.
Cambria has been with H2OO since the beginning, when she was 12 years old, furthering the mission and cultivating H2OO into what it is today.
Having grown up in a small town on the Northern California coast, Cambria developed a profound love for, and connection to, nature. Seeing the impacts of single-use plastics on ecosystems and communities globally, Cambria’s advocacy work focused on researching plastic pollution and raising awareness through award-winning artivism, both visual art and film, as well as speaking at events around the world.
She is committed to fostering a community of global youth who are connected to our shared natural environment and each other and who have access to the development of skills to advocate for justice for themselves and their communities.
Now a student at Whitman College, Cambria prioritizes climate action on campus and continues to raise awareness regarding the reliance the single-use plastics industry has on fossil fuels.
Latifah, from Kampala, Uganda, has been an active member of H2OO since 2020. Her passion is advocacy, both environmental and human rights, as she understands profoundly that they are connected. Latifah has experienced first-hand the realities of the devastating intersection of the climate humanitarian crises, especially as a girl.
She developed Climate Smart Urban Farming to grow food to avoid the fate of forced child marriage at just 13 years old. Latifah advocates for education and information platforms to amplify voices, resources, empowerment opportunities, safety and support for all, especially for marginalized communities. She wants to bridge the gap between the suffering of such marginalized communities and lawmakers, as those who make law have the power to help.
More so, Latifah wants to end gender-based violence against girls. Latifah speaks publicly to share her story, and she inspires others to work toward a better world.
Charley Peebler is a co-founder of Heirs To Our Ocean and is especially passionate about environmental activism becoming more accessible to youth around the world. They believe that the voices of those most impacted by the climate and ocean crises must be amplified.
Charley enjoys working in policy advocacy with fellow youth leaders building empowerment skills while they continue their own learning journey in climate justice and solutions to impacted coral ecosystems. Charley believes that H2OO is unique in how it works with youth to support young advocates. They love being a part of the real world change that H2OO and its youth leaders are making.
Charley was featured in a widely broadcasted prime-time Arte Episode highlighting their efforts seeking policy change to create a safer world. In 2022, Charley spoke at a plenary session at the UN Ocean Conference in Portugal asking world leaders to engage youth meaningfully in decision making.
When Dakota co-founded Heirs To Our Ocean (H2OO), it was a passion project for her at 10 years of age due to her strong interest in ocean life and wanting to know more.
As H2OO grew, she connected with and learned from youth from around the world who also wanted to see a better, safer future. At a very young age, Dakota understood that H2OO must be about youth protection, especially for those suffering the most now, with attention to the health of our planet and what the next generation is inheriting. Dakota is committed to H2OO’s mission of connecting youth in purpose and providing opportunities and resources to the greatest stakeholders of the climate crisis – youth everywhere.
Dakota has participated in many speaking and media events and presented for TED. She has raised awareness with performance art, such as this moving dance-based story about the climate crisis A Source of Hope.