Emily Penn has organized the largest ever community-led waste cleanup from a tiny Tongan island, trawled for micro plastics on a voyage through the Arctic Northwest Passage, rounded the planet on the record-breaking biofueled boat Earthrace, and worked on a sailing cargo ship trading western supplies for coconuts.

Emily splits her time between running eXXpedition - a series of all female voyages which focus on the relationship between plastics, toxics, and female health - and working to solve the ocean plastics issue with Parley for the Oceans and other corporate clients.

Prior to this, Emily co-founded Pangaea Explorations, to enable scientists, filmmakers and everyday people gain access to the most remote parts of our planet; collecting data on global issues and along the way discovered the previously unknown oceanic gyres – huge areas of plastic pollution accumulation.

Emily was honored with the Fitzroy Award at the 2016 Ocean Awards and is also the youngest and only female recipient of both the Yachtmaster of the Year, awarded by HRH Princess Royal, and the Seamaster of the Year award. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical society and in 2017 was elected as a member of the Cordon Rouge Club.

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By the Power of Bored Audience Skull! (Kumail Nanjiani)