Manuel Mansyalla
J. Manuel Mansylla – aka manman – is co-founder of TrashPatch.org and regional coordinator of the Plastic Pollution Coalition. He has always felt a strong passion for nature and a deep connection with the oceans. As an artist and designer, his work has been defined by a firm commitment of promoting sustainable practices, such as the use of re-claimed, recycled and repurposed materials. His work revolves around transforming lifestyles and respecting the environment. Also an avid long distance barefoot runner, in 2011 he finished his first plastic-free marathon, dedicating it to a plastic free world.

Max Liboiron
Max  Liboiron is a PhD Candidate at New York University in the department of Media, Culture, and Communication. Her dissertation, Redefining Pollution: The Case of Plastics, is about the ways plastic pollution is causing a paradigm shift in pollution control, toxicology, and activism around the world. Her work on waste and pollution has been published in eTOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies, Social Movement Studies, and the Encyclopedia of Consumption and Waste: The Social Science of Garbage. She is also an author of the Discard Studies blog.

Ezra Becker
Ezra Becker graduated with a dual master’s in Environmental Science and MBA. For his final dual degree capstone he consulted with a half marathon race director in Newton MA, to create suggestions and a plan to reduce the environmental impact of this event. His passions are running, the environment, and creating a lasting impact.

Jeremy Botwinick
Jeremy Botwinick is a member of Trash Patch and the East Coast Chapter of the Plastic Pollution Coalition. He works on various projects which target reducing the widespread use of disposable plastics and promoting recycling within his community, including the upcoming Tag It App that tracks and maps plastic pollution in cities.

Kiai Kim
Kiai Kim has advocated sustainable practices since 1988 when she helped start a municipal recycling program in upstate New York. At Vassar College, Kiai (pronounced “key-eye”) focused on the social implications of urban infrastructures and how architecture and urban planning in cities shapes the way its inhabitants live and behave. In December 2011, Kiai founded the not-for-profit Care For Earth Corporation with a mission to educate the public, facilitate sustainable practices for business, and advocate environmental policymaking with a focus on finding solutions for New York City.