We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Karisa Arterbury a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Karisa, appreciate you joining us today. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

For me, my heroes are the next generation, including my own children. It might seem unconventional, but isn’t it curious how we’ve achieved incredible advancements like AI and exploring Mars, yet unresolved issues like access to clean water persist? This reflects a vital contrast. The next generation inspires me because they embody hope and carry the fresh perspectives necessary for transformational change.

One experience particularly stands out and always reignites my own drive for change. My first child’s second-grade engineering project resulted in a simple tool called the “Grabber X-treme,” aimed at cleaning up trash. My child’s own ingenuity and clear sense of purpose were striking, tackling real-world issues not for grades but for genuine impact. This conviction was monumental in shaping my path towards initiatives like the Ocean Blue Project and conceptualizing programs like the OBP Blue Schools STREAM curriculum.

The pandemic of 2020 taught us sustainable change must root in values rather than policies alone. During that time, the OBP Blue Schools program was created, building on the foundation of Ocean Blue’s cornerstone community cleanup program. We developed the OBP Blue Schools curriculum to foster global awareness and local advocacy. Through this initiative, students are empowered to devise campaigns addressing plastic waste, demonstrating the power of young minds to identify solutions where others see challenges.

Embodying hope, the next generation challenges our norms and reminds me daily that the future is about leaving behind a better world. Their honesty, like questioning the necessity of plastic in products, changes how I address global issues. They don’t just hope; they enact meaningful revolutions.

Karisa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Thank you for letting me share the vision behind the Ocean Blue Project. I’m Karisa Arterbury, dedicated to addressing environmental challenges and preserving our shared world ocean. As Director of Operations + Development of Ocean Blue Project, and as a mother, I am inspired by a rich legacy of environmental stewardship, deeply rooted in my grandmother, Linda Roth Boyce’s, work on clean water.

Her passion fueled my work today, particularly in developing the OBP Blue Schools STREAM curriculum. We combine STEM with arts to address real-world challenges, promoting not just awareness but actionable mindsets imperative for global change.

Launching Nonprofit Start on March 8th, International Women’s Day, marks a new chapter for me. While I continue my work with Ocean Blue, it’s my personal mission to inspire other women to lead with purpose and make impactful global changes, driving home the idea that together, we create ripples of significant transformation. This endeavor aligns perfectly with this year’s theme, “Accelerate Action,” emphasizing the urgency and need for swift and collective initiatives to forge positive change.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

It’s a pleasure to finally put this story into words, as it forms the foundation of the vision we’ve carried forward together. My journey with Richard, the founder of Ocean Blue, began in Corvallis, Oregon, in 2013, during my years at Oregon State University. At the time, I had returned to school to pursue my B.S. in Biocultural Anthropology, driven by my passion for women’s health and carrying forward my grandmother’s legacy. Little did I know, my path would soon intersect with a mission just as profound.

My friend Richard had launched Ocean Blue a year earlier, fueled by a grassroots vision for ocean conservation, which I only discovered during a chance encounter in 2014. That moment took place at his community market booth, where I learned he was seeking volunteers to further the organization’s cause. Discovering what Richard was doing for clean water felt serendipitous, as I was searching for a meaningful way to fulfill my grandmother’s legacy and give back for clean water. Volunteering with Ocean Blue quickly became a transformative experience, where I took the lead in cleanup initiatives in collaboration with civic engagement programs at Oregon State. From that point on, our professional collaboration grew into something far more personal and enduring.

Fast forward to today, our journey as partners has evolved beautifully. Richard and I are now married with two children, both of whom cherish our shared love for the ocean, a legacy we continue to share with them through direct, hands-on experience. From their first steps on sandy beaches to seeing Ocean Blue’s incredible growth across fifteen states, we’ve witnessed the deep impact of turning personal passions into collective action. Together, we remain committed not just to each other, but to the ongoing expansion of Ocean Blue as a rising leader in the global ocean conservation movement.

The story of how we met is one of connection, purpose, and shared vision, a reflection of what Ocean Blue embodies as a mission-driven organization.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

Our journey has been anything but traditional, as we opted to expand Ocean Blue across the United States while embracing the full-time RV lifestyle. This allowed us to deeply engage with local communities, such as supporting recovery efforts in Fort Myers Beach following Hurricane Ian. By prioritizing meaningful impact over financial gain, we have seen remarkable results. Since I began my role as Director of Development in 2017, this commitment has driven a staggering 900% increase in contributions and grants to the Ocean Blue Project.

Our dedication reflected in results: over 2.15 million pounds of cleaned debris by 2025. With support from individuals, foundation grants, corporate partners, and Patagonia’s gift – access to their Action Works platform along with the professional volunteer platform, Catchafire.org – we’ve scaled Ocean Blue significantly. Departing from monetary rewards in favor of genuine impact aligns with our vision of preserving this planet for future generations.

The establishment of Ocean Blue’s East Coast Hub + Educational Center in Virginia is more than just a facility; it embodies a beacon of hope and action in response to the critical need for environmental stewardship. By fostering an educational environment that emphasizes clean water initiatives, we are not only empowering students to become proactive watershed and ocean stewards but also cultivating a generation that will strive for a sustainable and harmoniously connected world.

As we look toward the future, I feel a deep sense of optimism about the transformative influence this center will embody. It will foster the leaders of tomorrow who will become champions for our planet’s health. I am profoundly grateful to contribute to this endeavor by spearheading two impactful organizations. One is in an exhilarating early phase and aims to empower women to tackle more challenges as they embark on their own projects. The other, which has been making a significant impact for over a decade, is dedicated to cooperative efforts for a thriving global ocean, crucial for all life depending on it. This vision extends beyond the present, aiming to leave a lasting legacy that prizes and safeguards the delicate balance of our precious ecosystems.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://oceanblueproject.org/; https://nonprofitstart.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oceanblueproject/#
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OceanBlueProject/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karisa-arterbury/