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Seventeen year old Dakota Peebler (she/her), along with her sibling Charley, co-founded youth-led Heirs To Our Oceans (H2OO) in May 2016: https://h2oo.org/. With a group of 13 ocean-protecting friends aware of the challenges they are inheriting, H2OO’s Founding Chapter was formed in the San Francisco Bay Area, on Ramaytush Ohlone land, where they developed H2OO's mission. H2OO inspires the next generation of leaders by connecting them in purpose, educating them on the environmental and humanitarian crises they are inheriting, cultivating the necessary skills to make real-world change, and supporting youth in realizing solutions to today’s global challenges. H2OO’s commitment is to youth most vulnerably situated considering the ocean, water, climate crises. Dakota developed H2OO’s “fertilizer initiative” after becoming aware of the harms of chemical fertilizer over-use on our coastal marine ecosystems, which developed into H2OO’s RAISE Initiative - Regenerative Agriculture and Indigenous Systems for Our Environment. H2OO formed the U.S. Youth Advisory Council for the UN Ocean Decade, and Dakota participated in the 1st and 2nd Cohort.  She is now at the helm supporting the 3rd Cohort. This last summer Dakota spoke at the UNESCO-IOC side event at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon regarding the importance of UN Member States organizing authentic and meaningful youth advisory councils for the Ocean Decade. Dakota has participated in many speaking and media events – television, radio, podcasts and films – and presented on TedX Marin on September 12, 2020. Dakota is a competitive hip hop dancer and an actor, and she utilizes both in raising awareness about the impacts her generation is inheriting on our Blue Planet, such as the making of this moving dance-based story about the climate crisis, “A Source Of Hope.”

Latifah Nansubuga (she/they) is a 19-year old member of Heirs To Our Oceans (H2OO) from Uganda who advocates for healthy oceans, climate justice and clean water. Latifah engages in public speaking opportunities to share her story: Latifah developed Climate Smart Urban Farming at 13 years old to avoid forced child marriage, as severe poverty and hunger due to the climate crisis caused communities to commoditize girls. Latifah is keenly aware of the gender-based violence girls experience due to human rights violations rising from the climate, water and food crises, and she is committing her life to stop injustices to girls and women. Latifah has spoken on many national platforms in Uganda and in the U.S. as well as on international platforms.