On Friday April 9th we were delighted to host a live conversation with environmental activists and nonprofit founders Josh "Wavy" Snell and Manny Rionda.
Josh and Manny joined us for a lighthearted conversation about ecology, activism, mindfulness, service, and more with studio BE founder and CEO Jennifer Ciarimboli.
In case you missed it, you can watch the full conversation here:
Josh "Wavy" Snell is the founder of Save the Wave. When he learned that over 100,000 pounds of garbage enter the ocean every three minutes, Josh felt moved to try to do something about it. In 2019, he renovated an old bus and began traveling around the United States coastline cleaning beaches, educating children about single-use plastics, and working to raise $1,000,000 for 501(c)(3) NFP Organizations fighting for oceans.
Learn more about Josh at wavysnell.com and follow on FB and Instagram at @wavysnell.
Manny Rionda, co-founder of the Florida-based nonprofit Fill A Bag, is “on a mission to motivate us all to clean up our beaches by making it easy and accessible." Fill A Bag stations enable everyday beachgoers to become eco-warriors by equipping them with containers to collect ocean pollution while enjoying community beaches. As Manny says, the stations empower you to “turn a regular walk into a meaningful clean-up.”
Manny’s love for the ocean began while growing up in Key Biscayne, Florida. Carefree (and device-free) days were spent outside; riding bikes to secret fishing holes, exploring surrounding barrier islands, building forts in the mangroves, diving local reefs, climbing fruit trees, and launching from rope swings into the waters around his island paradise. After graduating in 1989 from Boston College with a Marketing degree, Manny moved to San Francisco where he began a 10-year teaching career, most of it in the City’s diverse Mission District. Adapting to the “Whole Language” teaching method, where educators would select a theme and incorporate content areas around it, he set a singular tone each year: The Ocean.
Returning to his beloved island in 1998, he raised 3 wonderful children. Manny is fortunate to continue working in the field he loves, taking his teaching skills to the Education Technology sector. His NIPA time (Non Income Producing Activity) remains driven by his passions: spending time with his family and friends, making connections within his community, coaching Little League baseball, leading Chico’s Stand-Up Paddle Club, co-hosting a weekly podcast called The No One’s Listening Show, and of course…being a steward for his first love…the ocean.
Learn more about Manny at fillabag.co and follow on Instagram at @fillabag.
Thanks for joining us, Manny and Josh! We loved chatting with you.
Feature image via @fillabag