Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gwenevere Persaud. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Gwenevere thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
Starting my nonprofit, & our podcast, were two massive risks that I took. When I first started my nonprofit I was very young, however I was determined to make an impact. In June of 2022, I started a newsletter about marine biology which I called thepersaudcatalog.org. I wrote tirelessly, & worked on articles every day. I rarely took days off, & I’m quite happy that I didn’t. I continued until December of 2022, when I decided that I wanted to scale up my impact, & officially registered it as a nonprofit organization. I got the letter of determination from the IRS 5 days before my birthday while I was in a foreign country, & I still remember the feeling of happiness, & hopefulness for what was to come.
I faced many hardships during the first few years, such as people mocking me, refusing to take my efforts seriously, & occasionally being outright disrespectful. People very close to me doubted me, which can leave some very negative imprints on you. When those closest to you don’t believe in all you can be, it shakes you in a way that very little else can.
However, despite it all, I persevered, & single-handedly built it up from the ground. Now, we have 3 online courses about marine biology, over 150 newsletter issues, & have conducted multiple local conservation events in Los Angeles. We also are in the process of conducting our first local marine education event in collaboration with a bookstore. I work incredibly hard for the nonprofit & rarely take days off, even for holidays. I am incredibly grateful for what I have, & intend to work even harder in 2025.
Our podcast which I started with some of my very close friends, Eli, Skylar, & Jenny, was also a very large risk. Very few of us were experienced with podcasting or video-editing, however, we were all extremely optimistic, & decided to do it. There were many issues at first, such as learning what RSS was, & dealing with technical issues. All of us are based in the U.S., & when we published our first episode, I was on a trip to Japan. I remember staying up until 2:30 AM in my apartment in Kyoto to help assist with technical issues, & help find platforms to put ourselves on such as IHeartRadio, Spotify, & Podimo. We all worked extremely hard in the first few weeks, & continue to work incredibly hard now. We currently have 7 published episodes, & a very loyal as well as supportive community! We all care for each other dearly, & I am incredibly grateful to have taken that risk with them.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Gwenevere Persaud, I am a marine biologist, executive director, podcast host, inventor, & online course creator! I have a deep passion for the ocean & its creatures. Many people have said they have stars in their eyes, however I have Nautili in mine!
I single-handedly founded my nonprofit organization, The Persaud Foundation, based in Southern California. Our website is thepersaudcatalog.org, & we currently conduct local conservation events, publish an electronic newsletter about marine biology, & publish online courses about marine biology. Our Instagram accounts can be found at @thepersaudfoundation, & @thepersaudcatalog. Our website can be found at https://marineenthusiastsp.wixsite.com/marineenthusiastspod, & our link tree at the link.ee/marine enthusiasts.
I am also one of the hosts of the Marine Enthusiasts, a podcast about marine biology & all things ocean. We currently have 7 published episodes, & are available on Spotify, IHeartRadio, & much, much more.
In addition to both of these endeavours, I am an inventor, & currently have 2 patents available on Justia’s website.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
My story is very, very unique, in that I was underage when I started my nonprofit. I would say that one of the best stories that I have, is from one of my beach cleanups.
In December of 2023, I was busy preparing for Christmas, & feeling the full force of the holiday spirit. I decided to visit a street famous for its brilliant Christmas lights, & afterwards, visit an artisanal ice cream parlour. While driving back home, my father & I were severely rear-ended, & damaged both the front & back ends of our car. I was safe thankfully, however as I was going over everything, I realized I had my beach cleanup two days from then. I pondered cancelling it, even though it was sold out, however I decided not to.
I managed to take an Uber at 9:45 AM, & made it on site successfully. I successfully conducted the Beach Cleanup, with a few participants, & met some fantastic people that day.
It’s going to take far more than a car crash to stop me, & my efforts.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
Interestingly, I started my newsletter before I started my nonprofit! My newsletter started very small, only issued 3 times per month, & with a naively designed website. I continued issuing however I was gaining very little traction, & realized that I had to scale up if I wanted to organize any conservation events, publish any courses, or do much of anything. So, in December 2022, I officially incorporated The Persaud Foundation. It took me a few months to get my bearings, however, I continued scaling up, & in November 2023, I began conducting beach cleanups, & have been conducting them as often as I can.
The idea for my online course materialized in March 2024, when I realized that to communicate science about specific marine animals, it may be useful to engage people with the use of conventional polls, quizzes, & educational graphics. I began publishing them on a now-defunct website then, & decided to close down that website, & eventually migrated them to thepersaudcatalog.org. I currently have 3 published courses, 2 pre-existing courses that are in the process of being migrated over, & 1 new course that is under construction.
Although it is a challenge to maintain funding, be the only one updating the websites, & be the only one in charge of events, I am very grateful for what I have, & extremely proud of what I have made.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thepersaudcatalog.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepersaudfoundation?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Other: My Nonprofit’s Eventbrite profile:
https://www.eventbrite.com/o/73537895963My Podcast’s Linktree, Website, Instagram, & Facebook:
Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/marineenthusiasts?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=d7b1af5d-ab25-497b-8c2a-36889c27677eWebsite:
https://marineenthusiastsp.wixsite.com/marineenthusiastspodInstagram:
https://www.instagram.com/marineenthusiasts?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571688265539&mibextid=wwXIfr
Image Credits
Nautical Waffles, image 1, 5, & 6.