The Climate Foundation is made up of people from
all over the world
​who all have the same goal: to change the world for the better. 
​*

​"The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world  are the ones who do."
-Steve Jobs

Team Philippines

Team Philippines is comprised of highly skilled professionals with diverse talents essential to our mission's success. Our team members come from a wide range of backgrounds, including seaweed farming, microbiology, fishing, welding, engineering, chemistry, sales, diving, and construction. This impressive breadth of real-world experience enables our team to effectively develop and implement innovative solutions tailored to the needs of local communities. Each team member contributes their unique skills and knowledge to further our shared goals. By leveraging our collective expertise, we can make meaningful progress on important environmental and economic development projects that improve lives. Our multidisciplinary team is one of our greatest assets,

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Board of Directors

B. von Herzen

Executive Director

Brian von Herzen , PhD. (USA)  is the founder and executive director of the Climate Foundation, which upholds the vision and the mission to regenerate life in the ocean
​(more...)

R. ​Truman

Chairman of the Board

Rebecca Truman (USA), Co-Founder,  Chairman, Board of Directors,  Rebecca worked for and helped to jump-start and run several startup companies in Silicon Valley. ​ (more...)

T. ​Kelly

Board of Directors 

Tom Kelly (California, USA)
​ Engineer, obtained his BS Degree in Physics from UCSB, and his MSEE Degree from Santa Clara Universi (more...)

R. Schmitt

Board of Directors

Ray Schmitt (Massachusetts, USA) is an Emeritus Research Scholar and a Physical Oceanographer. His undergraduate education was at B.Sc. Carnegie-Mellon (more...

B. Hauritz

Board of Directors

Bill Hauritz, (Queensland, Australia) AM is the director of the Woodford Folk Festival held annually in Queensland, Australia. In 2018, he was named as one of the Queensland Greats by (more...)

Major
​Awards

 

​Major awards
           over the Years

2023 Livability Challenge

2023 Livability Challenge   From a record-breaking 600+ entries from 82 countries, the battle to win S$2.5 million in funding culminated in Susteon, TeOra winning The Liveability Challenge 2023, and SeaForestation ( a spin off of the Climate Foundation)  winning four out of six  investment awards funding by the region's VCs.

2022 XPRIZE FOR CARBON REMOVAL

In 2022, The Climate Foundation was awarded the prestigious XPRIZE Carbon Removal Milestone prize.  After a rigorous vetting process alongside nearly 2,000 other applicants, we were selected as one of only 15 winning teams by the XPRIZE organization. This major accomplishment recognizes the incredible potential of our carbon removal technology. Our innovative seaweed cultivation system effectively removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, demonstrating a scalable, high-impact solution for combating climate change. The XPRIZE award provides crucial validation and support to accelerate our carbon removal efforts. As winners, we received a prize purse provided by the Musk Foundation to advance our work. Only a select few carbon removal technologies were able to meet XPRIZE’s strict criteria and high standards for real-world feasibility. We are honored that our team and our technology were chosen as winners, underscoring the merit and promise of our approach. This milestone represents an exciting step forward for our mission. With the backing of the XPRIZE award, we can scale up our solution to make an even greater positive impact by  helping to pave the way to a healthy climate and future.

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Private Grants​

2020 - 2023: Private Grants: Marine Permaculture. ​

2040 and Intrepid Foundation

2019: Two successful crowdfunded campaigns through 2040 and Intrepid Foundation.

Schmidt Futures

2019: Schmidt Futures / Protecting the Great Barrier Reef.  ​

Private Grant

2017:  Private Grant  for the Protection of the Environment Marine Permaculture contribution. ​

Blue Economy Challenge

2016 - 2018 Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Blue Economy Challenge Marine Permaculture to restore overturning circulation and seaweed forests. ​

Urban Labs Delhi Challenge

2016-2018: University of Chicago, Urban Labs Delhi Innovation Challenge Eliminating Rice Straw Burning in Haryana using biochar to restore soils. Our idea later won the Earth Shot prize. 

Urban Labs Delhi Challenge

2016-2018: University of Chicago, Urban Labs Delhi Innovation Challenge Eliminating Rice Straw Burning in Haryana using biochar to restore soils. ​

Alaska Water

2015 - Winning Team, Alaska Water - Sewer Challenge. ​

Biochar Reactor

2014 - NAFTA's Commission on Environmental Cooperation selected The Climate Foundation for an award to develop a biochar reactor for North America. ​

Gates Foundation Project

M​2013 - 2015  Gates Foundation Phase 2 Grant - Biochar Sanitation.

Biochar Reactor
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2012 - NAFTA's Commission on Environmental Cooperation selected The Climate Foundation for an award to develop a biochar reactor for North America. ​

Gates Foundation Project

2011 - 2013  Gates Foundation Phase 1 Grant - Biochar Sanitation ​

Discovery Channel

2008 - Climate Foundation's Brian Von Herzen was selected to participate in Discovery Channel "Project Earth: Hungry Oceans" documentary on carbon balance in the oceans.

Collaborators

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together"

Why we do this?

Because humanity is failing at being caretakers of our planet. 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/08/marine-species-increasingly-cant-live-at-equator-due-to-global-heating

https://www.foxnews.com/science/mass-extinction-earth-2-billlion-years

https://sites.uw.edu/bevanseries/2018/03/19/the-new-wave-of-shellfish-farming-and-how-seaweed-may-be-the-answer/

https://www.optimistdaily.com/2019/09/how-seaweed-forests-can-be-a-massive-tool-against-climate-collapse/

https://phys.org/news/2019-08-oxygen-depletion-ancient-oceans-major.html

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/oceans/critical-issues-marine-pollution/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/climate/fish-climate-change.html

https://relay.nationalgeographic.com/proxy/distribution/public/amp/2018/06/climate-change-drives-fish-wars-science-environment

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5c553a6de4b00187b55120ad/amp

https://www.livescience.com/63466-hot-fish-kill.html

https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/hypothesis-confirmed-sea-lion-mass-deaths-caused-malnutrition/

https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-ocean-is-dying-marine-and-animal-life-die-offs-california-coast/5451836

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2144624/Warm-ocean-temperatures-blamed-deaths-2-300-birds-Chile.html

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016/09/warm-water-pacific-coast-algae-nino/

https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/10/nyregion/warm-water-killed-the-lobsters.html

https://www.livescience.com/62346-giant-gathering-octopus-mothers.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/23/insider/climate-kelp-destruction.html

https://www.livescience.com/61665-mercury-permafrost-climate-change.html-- 

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Founded: 2007
Location: Beaverton, Oregon; Carson City, Nevada
Type of Organization: Independent non-profit 501(c)3 NGO
Funding: Foundation and private donations, government grants, industry contracts, annual operating budget of $2 million
Research Areas:  Food security and carbon balance in soils and seas, mitigating climate disruption in critical eco-systems around the world.
People: Climate Foundation is comprised of multiple interdisciplinary teams of scientists, engineers, professors, logistic analysts, post docs, graduate students, and interns